Wingman
by 4everawriter
Summary: Ally Dawson has had a crush on her best friend for as long as she could remember. So when Austin admitted that he did like someone, she had the smallest hope that it was her...until she found out that it was one of her closest friends. But Ally couldn't say no when he came to her for help. Yes, she agreed to be Austin's wingman.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I was working on my story "Here We Go Again" (please check it out, if you haven't already) when this idea popped into my head. So I thought, why not work on two stories? So here I am! I really hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned A&A, I would have never made them break up ): **

I sighed as I sat down in the comfy airport seats, waiting until I was allowed to board onto my flight. My legs ached. I was up on my feet all night, packing at my sudden decision. _My decision. _Why did something tell me that I was wrong?

Did I make the right choice? I looked down at my airport ticket. _New York. _It was so far away from my home in Miami. _No, _I corrected myself. _Miami's not your home anymore. You're going to start a brand new future in MUNY._

It was my dream. I had always wanted to go to the Music University of New York. Why could I just be happy for myself? Yes, I declined it at first. But now, I made up my mind. I gripped my suitcase's handle.

Who am I kidding? I don't want to go to MUNY. I belong here, with my dad, Trish…Austin. Austin. This whole mess was his fault. It's because of him I'm on the next flight to New York City.

_Flight to New York boarding now, _an announcer came on the speakers, bursting over the loud chatter of the airport. I took a deep breath, getting to my feet. It's now or never.

"Have a nice flight," the attendant smiled at me as I handed her my ticket.

I smiled. "Thank you," I told her. It was amazing how you could forge your feelings on the outside. Right now, I felt like I was going to puke. My heart pounded in my ears. I was really doing this.

Just when I got the courage to take a step into the corridor, a voice called out. "ALLY! WAIT! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS! WAIT!"

I closed my eyes and stopped in my tracks. He was the last person I wanted to see. I slowly turned around to see Austin Moon. Even though I hated his guts right now, I couldn't help but gasp. He looked horrible.

Austin looked like he had absolutely no sleep for the past couple of days. Dark circles surrounded his hazel eyes. He looked like he just rolled out of bed with his blond hair even messier than it really was. He must have lost at least ten pounds.

But no emotion came to me as he came towards me. The attendant stopped him. "Excuse me, sir," she said politely. "Do you have a ticket?"

He ignored her, pushing past her. My heart stopped. I felt glued to the spot. _Move, _I ordered my legs, _just leave him. Get into the airplane already! _Despite my orders, they stayed still as he ran towards me.

"Please don't go," he whispered. He was three yards away. Two. One.

My senses came back. My eyes met his quickly, giving a silent good bye. I couldn't do this. Choking back tears, I turned back and walked into the corridor as fast as I could without running.

"No!" I heard Austin yell behind me. I quickened my pace. The entrance to the airplane was right there. Just a few more steps…shivers went down my spine as someone (no surprise on who it is) grabbed my arm.

Austin stared at me with his puppy dog eyes. I saw that they were watering. "Please Ally," he whispered to me. "I-I don't know what I'll do without you. I was so stupid. I've never made such a terrible mistake in my life. P-please don't-"

"Sorry son," another voice came behind him. A security guard approached, grabbing his arm. "No ticket means that you can't board this plane."

I swallowed hard, gathering my bags together again. "Good bye Austin," I coughed up, trembling. Why did he have to come? Just when I was prepared…

"No," Austin's voice made my heart shatter into a million pieces. "No. Ally, I can't do this without you! You're my best friend! R-remember when we were younger?" He took another step closer to me. The guard snapped into action.

"I'm sorry, Son," he said gruffly, grabbing him, dragging him back.

Austin struggled against him. "You can't do this Alls!" he yelled.

I was on the verge to crying. _No, _I thought. _You can't cry in front of Austin. That'll make things harder for both of you. _But of course, my body didn't listen to me once again. I felt a tear trickle down my cheek as I watched Austin.

"I-I'm sorry!" he yelled, still struggling. "I don't care if you hate me forever, but just please don't go. Fine, you can give me the silent treatment; just don't get on that plane! Just stay in Miami! Please!"

Austin got jerked back once again. He stopped protesting against the guard. We locked eyes. Even though his hazel eyes were tired and red, they were still the gorgeous eyes I've loved for as long as I could remember.

_Good bye, _I thought tearfully as I stepped into the plane. The attendant was waiting for me and she closed the door of the corridor, cutting me off from Austin, Miami, my old life.

Trembling, I made my way over to my seat. "Excuse me," I said hoarsely, slipping past an elderly lady that was supposing supposed to sit next to me.

She gave me a kind smile. "No problem, Dear," she said. She must have seen that I was upset because her smile got even softer. "I'm Linda, by the way. You can just call me that. I hate how people call me 'Ms. Ports'. I may be old, but I don't have to be reminded of it!"

I gave a shaky laugh. "Ally Dawson," I smiled for the first time that day.

Linda opened her mouth to speak but my phone buzzed. I apologized, digging into my pocket to take out my phone. I flipped it open. There was only one message on it: _No matter what, I'll always love you Alls. ~Your Rockstar_

That was it. I burst into tears, throwing my phone on the ground. People stared at me like I was crazy, but I didn't care. I didn't care. I didn't care. I curled into a ball on my seat and let out all the pain that was in me for who knows how long. The pit in my stomach was growing harder to the point where I couldn't take it.

I felt a cool hand rub me on the back. Linda looked like the only person who wasn't affected by my meltdown. "Shh," she soothed. "It's going to be okay."

_No it's not, _I wanted to protest. I started to choke on my tears.

Linda dug into her purse and offered me a tissue. I took it gratefully, blowing my nose not-so-gracefully. "I-I'm s-sorry," I apologized, embarrassed.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Linda said softly, her eyes scanning me over. "I may have just met you, Ally Dawson, but I can tell something's wrong."

I gave a breathy laugh. I shakily picked up my phone again, not looking at the message that Austin sent me. "Good guess," I said weakly. I couldn't really leave it at that. Suddenly, I felt an urge to tell Linda everything that's happened over the past few months. A burden was weighing me down. I had to get it off.

"Um…" I began. "Someone once told me that it helps to tell someone."

Linda laughed, getting my hint. She shifted in her seat, making herself comfortable. "We have a good three hours," she smiled.

I took a deep breath. "Where do I start?" I asked more to myself than her.

"From the beginning," Linda offered.

I laughed. A real laugh. Haven't done one of those in a while. "It started with Austin Moon," I told her honestly. "I've known him for as long as I could remember. He was my best friend."

"You had a crush on him, didn't you?" Linda guessed.

Seeing my surprise, Linda shook her head in disbelief. "It's obvious how you said his name that you had some sort of affection for him. He must have been really special to you."

"He was," I said softly.

"Was?"

I looked up. No matter how much tried to avoid it, I knew where this story really started. "It started when the new girl, Cassidy, came to school…"

* * *

**EIGHT MONTHS AGO**

"You say bye."

"No, you say bye."

"No, I insist. You say bye."

"No, you say bye."

"But-"

I stepped in annoyance. Really, I loved my friend Trish to pieces, but when she and Dez Fisher became an 'item', it's been really getting on my nerves. "Bye," I said quickly, dragging Trish away from Dez. I felt kind of bad, but we were going to be late for class if it took them twenty minutes to say bye.

Trish frowned at me as I dragged her down the hallway. "What was that for?" she pouted, stopping me in my tracks. My body jerked backwards.

"What was what?" I asked innocently.

"I thought you liked Dez," Trish stated.

"I do," I told her honestly. And it was true. Dez was insanely funny and was a fun person to hang around with. Plus, he was Austin's good friend so I saw him a lot. "Dez is awesome, really. But-"

Trish seemed to see what I was trying to say. "-but you're feeling left out."

"Yes! Wait…no! That's not what I meant," I protested once Trish's words fully processed through my head. I didn't mean it like that. More like, we-are-going-to-be-late-for-class-and-I-don't-want -to-get-in-trouble.

"It's okay Ally," Trish said 'understandingly'. "I get it. You're feeling like a third wheel." I tried to protest again, but she interrupted me. "You know what? I'm going to fix this. I'm going to get you a boyfriend."

I almost choked on my own spit. "WHAT?!"

Trish rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Ally-gator," she said. "It's about time you tryto find someone. Do you really want to stay single forever? And it would make me feel less guilty so you don't feel left out when you're with Dez and me."

"It's okay," I told her. "Honestly, it's fine. I still have Austin."

Trish stumbled like she just thought of a perfect idea. "Austin!" she exclaimed, like it was slowly dawning on her. "How am I so stupid?! Of course!"

Knowing Trish since middle school started, I knew exactly what I was thinking. She presented this idea to me billions of times before. "Trish," I groaned.

"Why not?" Trish whined. Here we go again. "It's perfect. Just go straight up to him and say, 'I have a crush on you!' He has to feel the same way."

I slammed my hand against her mouth. "Are you crazy?" I hissed, looking around. Thank God Austin wasn't around. He was probably _in class, _like we should be right now. "You don't need to announce it to the world."

Trish grinned sheepishly. "Sorry," she apologized.

Yeah. I had a crush on Austin Monica Moon. My best friend. It was a foolish hope I had that would never come true. Austin literally had the whole grade at his feet. Girls were drooling for him. I couldn't compare to them. I was even lucky just to have him as my _friend. _Why would he want me: Ally Dawson the plain nerd?

* * *

_"I'm sure that's not true, Dear."_

_ I smiled at Linda as she interrupted me from my story. "I know you're just saying that to be nice," I told her pointedly. I picked up my phone from the ground. Thankfully, it was a flip phone so the screen didn't crack. I scrolled through my photos until I found a picture of Austin. _

_ Swallowing the knot that was growing in my throat, I showed Linda the picture. She leaned forward to look at it. "He is a handsome boy," she commented. _

_ I couldn't help but smile at the picture. It was my favorite shot of him. It was him at his birthday party. He was wearing his usual plaid, button up that was left open to show the white t-shirt that he wore underneath and ripped jeans with chains. Dog tags and earphones were tossed around his neck. A hat that read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' was on his messy golden blond hair that covered the back of his neck and ears. Sunglasses covered his hazel eyes. _

_ A sudden pain hit me in the stomach. I snapped my phone shut. "Yeah," I said hoarsely, clearing my throat. "The point is, Austin could have gotten any girl in the grade in a second," I said quickly. "He didn't deserve me." I looked down at my feet. Linda didn't reply so I decided to move on. "Anyway..." _

* * *

For the rest of the period, I couldn't stop thinking about what Trish said. _He had to feel the same way. _I knew it wasn't true. It couldn't be true. But still…a part of me thought that there was a chance. But I knew it was just wishful thinking.

I blanked out in thought throughout the whole lesson. When the bell rang, I almost didn't notice until I saw everyone clearing out of the classroom.

Gathering my books together, I followed everyone out. Next period was my favorite class of all times: choir. I bolted towards my locker. Austin was waiting for me there, leaning against it. I almost ran into him. "Whoa," he laughed, steadying me. "Excited much?"

"I'm sorry," I apologized, grinning. "I just got out of one hour of Calculus."

Austin mocked surprise. "Ally Dawson actually bored in class?" he said in shock. He put his hand on my forehead. "Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? Abducted? How many fingers am I holding up?"

I laughed and swatted his hand away. I tried to ignore the tingling feeling his hand left on my forehead. "I'm fine," I assured him, starting to open my locker. "I just…had a lot on my mind."

Austin didn't question it. "So did you meet the new girl today?" he asked.

I paused from putting my books back from my locker. "New girl?" I repeated. Since when did we have a new student? I volunteered to be the 'guide' for any newcomer than comes to Marano High. So I was pretty sure I would have been told that there was someone coming.

Austin laughed. "Wow, you really have been a zombie all day."

I rolled my eyes and shut my locker closed. "Shut up."

He laughed again.

For a few minutes, we walked to the band room in silence. But it was a comfortable silence, not those awkward moments that just makes you want to run away. As we turned to corner into the class, Austin finally ended our peaceful silence and said, "Her name's Cassidy."

I blinked. "What?"

"The new girl. Her name's Cassidy. She was in my homeroom."

"Oh," I said, not really knowing what else to say to that.

We arrived to the band room just as the bell rang. Austin and I both took our seats as Miss Hill, the choir teacher, called everyone's attention. "Okay!" she said, cutting through the chatter of the class. "Everyone, we have a new student joining us today! Her name's Cassidy."

Austin and I exchanged looks. _See? _He told me silently.

Miss Hill gestured for a girl who was sitting at the front of the room to come up. _Cassidy, _I guessed. There were a few notes that I mentally made in my mind.

1) She was gorgeous

2) Every boy in class seemed to be drooling over her

3) By every, I mean Austin Moon

**Like it? Hate it? Please let me know! R&R! Constructive criticism is allowed :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! Thank you to all your reviews, follows, and favorites! You guys are seriously amazing! Enjoy the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything :)**

I knew it. I always knew it would happen. I guess I just tried to avoid the thought. But I knew that someday, Austin was going to start falling for another girl that wasn't me. And now, finally, at the senior year of high school, it happened.

Anyone could tell. The way that Austin stared at her with such want…it literally made my heart cut straight in half. I couldn't have blamed him though.

Like I said before, Cassidy was G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S. She had straight golden hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. She had piercing blue eyes that were the color of a clear sky. She wore blue skinny jeans and a simple white t-shirt that hugged her sides, showing off her nearly perfect figure.

Somewhere in my mind, I tried to convince myself that there was still a chance. But reality checked in and then I knew that I never even had that chance. Austin only saw me as his best friend, nothing more, nothing less. And the thought of that made me want to die inside.

* * *

_"When you're all alone_

_Drowning alone_

_And you need a rope_

_That can pull you in_

_Someone would throw it_

_And when you're afraid_

_That you're gonna break_

_And you need a way to feel _

_Strong again_

_Someone will know it_

_'Cause even when it hurts the most_

_Try to have a little hope_

_'Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't_

_When you don't…_

_If you want to cry_

_I'll be your shoulder_

_If you want to laugh _

_I'll be your smile_

_If you want to fly_

_I will be your sky_

_Anything you need_

_That's what I'll be_

_If you want to climb_

_I'll be your ladder_

_If you want to run_

_I'll be your road_

_If you want a friend_

_Doesn't matter when_

_Anything you need_

_That's what I'll be_

_You can come to me."_

I played the last cords on the piano.

"That was amazing!" a voice suddenly cheered.

I fell off the piano bench in surprise to see Austin casually leaning against the doorway of the band room. "Austin!" I scolded, getting up from the floor.

He laughed. "Sorry," he grinned, not looking sorry at all. He came to sit down next to me on the piano bench. "I've been looking all over you. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at lunch?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "I just thought of some lyrics that I had to get out." I closed my songbook/ journal and hugged it to my chest. "I didn't want to forget them."

"It was great," Austin said sincerely. "You should show it to Miss Hill."

I frowned at him. "You know I can't do that," I told him. He knew as well as I did that I had massive stage fright. He was one out of two people that ever heard me sing. Everyone else…not even my own dad heard me before.

Austin pouted. "Pwetty Pwease," he begged me, pulling off his puppy eyes. We both knew that I never could have resisted it. I looked away.

"It's not going to work this time," I warned him.

There was a silence and I knew Austin was up to something. "Oh no, don't-"

Austin grabbed me and started to tickle my stomach, a spot he knew that I was extremely ticklish to. I squealed and tried to squirm away from him. "AUSTIN! No…Stop…Please!" I managed to get out.

That only made Austin tickles me harder. I shrieked. Austin wrapped his arms around me so I wouldn't be able to escape. I crumbled to the ground, and he came right along with me. "A-Austin," I panted, still trying to get away. "P-Please…Stop…I-I'll…Do…Anything."

"Anything?" Austin repeated. I could feel his hot breath on my neck. He was surely smirking right now. "Hm…" he tickled me some more and I squirmed, but he went on as if he didn't notice me. "…Anything…like showing that song you just sang to the whole class tomorrow?"

I could barely breathe now, not being able to process what Austin was saying. "Tomorrow's…a…Saturday," I managed to laugh out.

"Monday then."

I hesitated until Austin started once again to tickle me. "F-Fine! I-I'll s-sing…that stupid s-song on M-Monday," I panted. "J-just please stop t-tickling me!"

Austin immediately stopped, but didn't let go of me. Now with the threat of being ticked away from me, I realized at what I agreed to: I was going to sing in front of a crowd on Monday.

Suddenly furious at Austin, I pushed out of his arms and got to my feet. I hit him on the arm. He yelped and grasped his arm. "Ow! That hurt!"

"Really?" I said mockingly. "Because I meant for that to _tickle_."

He narrowed his eyes. And that's when all chaos broke loose.

Someone cleared his/her throat. Both of us snapped our heads towards the person. "WHAT?!" we yelled. The blood drained from my face when I saw who it was. Austin's expression was similar to mine.

Cassidy raised a brow. "Am I interrupting something here?"

Austin recovered faster than I did. "No!" he said, flashing me a glance.

"Sorry," I apologized, finally finding my voice. "We're like that all the time."

Cassidy laughed. "It's fine," she dismissed it.

Austin smiled at her and I bit my lip hard. "I'm Austin, by the way," he introduced himself. He jerked his thumb back to me. "And this little shortie over here is Ally," he said jokingly.

"Hey!" I protested, glaring up at him. Just saying that I had to glare _up _at him proved his point. "I'm not short. I'm just…vertically in challenged." **[1]**

Austin snorted and I shoved him, making him laugh.

I almost forgot that Cassidy was there until she spoke up. "Well, it was nice to meet you Austin and Ally," she grinned.

Austin smiled charmingly at her. "You too," he said. I nodded in agreement, even though I was starting to see green. No matter how hard I try, Cassidy was making it really hard to hate her.

* * *

"Hey, Trish," I greeted, running up to her locker. She was packing her stuff up into her backpack. She looked up and waved.

"Hey Ally-gator," she grinned, zipping up her bag. "What's up?"

I decided to get straight to the point. "Have you seen Austin?" I asked, shifting the backpack on my shoulder. "I have to ask him to drive me to pick up Beth. My car broke down a few days ago and I promised that-"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Trish interrupted me, not wanting to hear my story. She paused for a second before shaking her head. "I haven't seen him since lunch."

"Oh," I said. "Thanks anyway Trish. I'll text you later?"

Trish nodded eagerly. "Maybe we can have one of our girl days?"

I laughed. "Definitely," I grinned, but paused, realizing that I was getting off track. "I have to go and find Austin. Don't want to keep Beth waiting."

* * *

_"Beth?" _

_ I smiled. "Yeah," I said quietly. "She was, I mean is, my sister."_

_ Linda frowned. "Was?" _

_ "Is," I said, harsher than I meant it to be. I softened. "I'm sorry," I apologized. _

_ Linda dismissed it. "Don't worry," she said lightly. But she still seemed to be bothered by what I said. I swallowed a sob down, almost going to tell her what happened with Beth, but quickly stopped myself. She was going to find out soon anyway… Panic hit me hard. _

_ I closed my eyes. "Where was I?" I asked Linda, changing the subject._

_ "You were trying to find Austin."_

_ "Oh yeah. So, I ended up finding Austin with-"_

_ "-Cassidy."_

_ "…yeah." _

* * *

I watched in pain as I saw Austin and Cassidy laughing together in the hallway. I pressed my back against the wall and took a deep breath. _Get use to it Ally, _I told myself. _They're obviously going to be together someday. _

Still, I didn't move from my hiding spot around the corner as I continued to stare at them. Austin was leaning against Cassidy's locker as she was getting her books together. Her face was red of laughter.

Austin looked at her indignantly and rubbed his head like he just banged it against the wall. "It wasn't that funny," he pouted.

Cassidy threw her head back again to let out another laugh. "Maybe you should have eyes on the side of your head too so you don't crash into another locker."

Austin broke into a smile. "You kidding?" he joked. "I crash into lockers all the time." He popped his imaginary collar, making Cassidy giggle.

"So what are you doing here?" Cassidy asked, closing her locker. "Because I know that you didn't just come to almost get a concussion."

Austin rubbed his neck. "Well…I was wondering if-"

_No! _my muscles reacted and I ran towards them. "Austin!" I said breathlessly, like I just ran a mile. "I've been looking all over for you!" Not entirely a lie. I've been searching for him for nearly fifteen minutes.

He looked at me in annoyance, like to say _Perfect timing Alls! _Cassidy gave me a nicer greeting. "Hi Ally!" she waved cheerfully.

I smiled. "Hi," I greeted back, keeping the hostility out of my voice. It wasn't her fault that Austin was especially attracted to her. I turned to back to Austin. "I was wondering if you could drive me to pick up Beth. My car broke down a few days ago and it's too far to walk to her school."

Austin's gloomy mood immediately brightened. "Sure!" he said almost instantly. He absolutely loved my little sister…almost as much as I did, and that's really saying something. He acts like the older brother she never had.

He grabbed his keys out of his pocket. "I'll see you later Cassidy?" he asked.

Cassidy nodded. "Definitely," she said, her voice still trembling slightly from laughing so hard. "Don't crash into any more lockers."

"Ha ha," he said, sticking his tongue out at her playfully.

I couldn't help but smile at his child-like actions. "Come on Locker Boy," I rolled my eyes and dragged him down the hallway.

When we got outside, Austin directed me towards his car. He opened the door for me, bowing comically. "Ma'dam," he said in a horrible British accent.

But I just stood there with my arms crossed. Austin stared at me, knowing what I was silently asking. "Please Alls," he said in exasperation. He clutched the keys to his chest protectively. "I promise we'll get there in one piece this time."

"That's what you said 'last time'!" I protested, still not budging.

Austin groaned and tossed me the keys, knowing I was right. "Let's try getting there before we're eighty, okay Alls?" he said, half-jokingly, half-serious.

"No promises," I laughed as I slid into the driver's seat. I started the car and the radio immediately blared to life. I almost got a heart attack. Austin laughed at my expression. He lowered the music down.

"Gosh Austin," I gasped, my heart rate slowing down. "How are you not deaf?"

Austin shrugged as he flipped through the radio stations. As I pulled out of the school driveway, I heard my favorite song come on. Austin knowingly stopped at that station and I grinned at him.

_"Just give me a reason, just a little bit's enough," _I sang along quietly as I kept my eyes on the road. Austin nudged me, almost making me lose my grip on the steering wheel. "Austin!" I said as I stopped at a red light.

"C'mon Alls," he encouraged. "Sing your heart out."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah…that's not happening."

"But you're going to have to do it anyway on Monday," he pointed out.

Oh yeah. I glared at him. "I'm still mad at you about that."

"What if I sing it with you?" he blurted out suddenly.

I stared at him in surprise and he quickly went on, "I mean you might feel more comfortable if you have someone else to sing with."

"Or you can just call this whole thing off," I suggested hopefully.

Austin laughed. "Not happening Alls."

I shrunk down in my seat as I continued to drive. Austin was still waiting for a response, but I didn't really know what to say. Sing with Austin? The thought of it was great…but the whole thought of s_inging in public? _Not as much.

The rest of the drive to Beth's school was in silence. Finally, we reached our destination and we both got out of the car. Beth was already waiting for us outside. When she saw Austin, her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Austin!" she yelled, her small legs running as fast as possible towards him. She stumbled but Austin caught her, smiling, "Whoa."

"Hey Beth," he grinned, swinging her around by her arms. She squealed in delight as she got twirled, her brown curls flying in the air. I watched as Austin put her down and she hugged him at his legs, the furthest she could reach.

I smiled at them. "So how was kindergarten Beth?" I asked her.

"It was fun!" she said cheerfully. She waved a piece of paper that was in her hands. "I got a…" her eyes widened "…an in-nvi…" she narrowed her eyes in thought, trying to pronounce the word.

Austin and I both laughed. "Invitation," I offered.

Beth nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!" she said. "I got an invitation!" she showed it proudly to Austin, who took it, reading over it.

"Do you think Daddy would let me go?" she asked, peering up at me.

I smiled. "I'm sure he would, Beth," I promised her. "We can ask him at home."

Beth gave a big smile. "Okay," she agreed. She tugged on Austin's jeans. "Let's go Austin. Bend down." He obediently bent down and she hopped on his back.

"Airplane!" he yelled suddenly. Beth giggled as Austin began to give her a piggyback ride with his arms outstretched, making 'whoosh' sounds, mocking an airplane. They went around in a circle then directed towards Austin's house.

I laughed at them and was about to follow them when someone stopped me by grabbing my arm. I turned around to see a fairly young woman with a boy hand-in-hand with her. _Her son_, I guessed.

"I'm sorry," she said, her eyes sparkling. "I just wanted to say that I'm not a big fan of teenage pregnancy, but your family is just wonderful. Seeing you three together made my heart warm up."

I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. I didn't even try to correct her as she walked away with her son. Did people really think that Austin and I…was it wrong of me that I was actually happy that they thought that we were together?

**[1] I know I used the 'vertically in challenged' thing in my other story, but I honestly love that phrase so... ;)**

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	3. Chapter 3

** You guys are amazing! Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites! My email was overflowing with them :D**

**So... here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"Give me the phone."

"No way, Alls. You have to get a new one. This is like _ancient._"

"For your information, my flip phone and I are very happy together."

Austin shook his head at me disapprovingly as he continued to keep my flip phone out of my reach. I was responding to a text from Trish when he just had to snatch it out of my hands, saying that he was going to get me a new phone.

"Do they even make these anymore?" he made a face.

"Yes!" I insisted, trying to make another jump from it.

"Yeah," Beth chimed in from her spot in the kitchen table, where she was eating the ice cream that Austin had bought for her.

"See," I joked. "A five year old knows more than you do. Now give me my phone! I have to answer Trish before she thinks I died or something."

Bad idea. Austin looked at me then back at the phone. Oh no. He comically rubbed his chin in thought. "Hmm…" he said, pretending to think. "I wonder what girl gossip you and Trish had talked about in here." He stared at the phone.

Oh gosh. This wasn't good. I've actually talked to Trish tons of times about Austin in my texts. This was bad. This was really bad.

Before I could react, Austin took off with my phone. I glanced at Beth. "Stay right there," I told her. I didn't even wait for an answer as I took off after Austin.

* * *

_I got interrupted by Linda. She started laughing. "Oh my," she said, gasping for air. "You teens are really something, you know that? You make me want to go back to when I was your age." _

_ "Just be around Austin," I told her. "He…he makes you feel like a kid no matter what age you are." I stared at my feet. My heart ached. _

_ Linda looked at me questioningly. "You just make me want to know your story more and more," she told me. She eased back in her seat. "Go on."_

_ I wiped a tear that was escaping out of my eye. "Well…" I cracked a smile. "I'll spare you the details of the chase. But it ended when my dad came home."_

* * *

"Come back here, Austin!" I panted. We've been at this for at least twenty minutes. I've literally chased Austin around the block.

Beth, who's been obediently sitting at the kitchen table like I told her to, was watching us as Austin and I skittered down the hallway. Austin was running towards the front door just as my dad entered.

"Daddy!" Beth cheered, hoping from her seat.

"Dad!" I called out. "Stop him!"

Poor Dad was confused as Austin slowed down beside him. "Hi Mr. Dawson!" he greeted. I took my chance then. I bolted towards him and snatched the phone from his hand. I gave a breath of relief.

Dad stared at the two of us. "Did I miss something?"

Austin and I shook our heads. I tucked my phone in my pocket and Austin glared at me. _Next time, _he mouthed to me smugly.

Beth ran up to Dad. "Daddy!" she squealed, jumping into his open arms. She showed him the invitation. "I got an in-vi-tiation." She slowly sounded out the word. "Can I go? Can I go? Can I go?"

I smiled as I led Austin up stairs to my room, leaving Dad alone to handle Beth.

"So what do you want to do?" I asked him, collapsing on my bed.

Austin, however, jumped on my bed, causing me to fall off, hitting the ground hard. "Austin," I whined. He laughed and helped me up. 

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. I sat next to him on the bed.

"You know," Austin mused, "Why did you care so much about your phone?"

My muscles tensed. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously.

Austin raised a brow. "You act like it's your book."

"I just love my phone _that _much," I lied straight through my teeth. Austin didn't look convinced. That's when I remembered that I had to respond to Trish's texts…which were steadily growing as she continued to text me. I gave a short laugh and showed Austin the continuous texts the Latina was sending me:

_Ally? Where are you? Did you die?_

_Hello? Anyone there?_

_Seriously, answer me!_

_Ally Dawson, pick up your d*** phone and answer!_

_Chica, mejor respuesta o voy a martarte_

"Wow," Austin said in surprise. "What were you guys talking about anyway?"

I smiled. "Trish wants to have a girl's night," I told him. "And this time, she wants to invite Kira, Laura, and…Cassidy." I said the last name so quietly, I was surprised Austin even heard me.

"About Cassidy…" Austin rubbed his neck nervously.

I leaned forward. Half of be expected him to say that he wasn't interested in her anymore. The other half of me expected him to say that he wanted to ask her out. But I _definitely _didn't expect him to say what he did.

"I was wondering…can you be my wingman?"

I almost fell off the bed again. "What?" I asked in shock.

Austin looked down at his feet. "I mean, I really, really, _really _like Cassidy," he told me honestly. I think I was going to die right there because it was physically impossible to live without a heart.

"That's great," I squeaked out. I swallowed every resentment I had for Cassidy and the whole thought of fairness and offered a hopefully sincere smile. "I'm happy that you finally found your girl." I nudged him playfully.

Austin grinned at me. "Yeah…" he trailed off, his smile slowly dissolving. "Here's the problem…I need your help."

I furrowed my eye brows. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"You said yourself that Cassidy was going to be at your, what you call it, 'girl's night'. Do you think you can…maybe…" he waited for me to catch on.

He wanted me to be his wingman. It was as simple as that. He was asking me to help him get with another girl. The guy _I _liked needed _my _help to get with Cassidy. But what best friend was I if I refused to help him? I blinked hard. "Sure," I said with as much confidence as I could muster.

Austin crushed me with a hug. Literally, I felt a few bones break. Despite the pain, I felt a strange feeling of warmth run up my body. Warmth that quickly turned into butterflies that decided to make a home in my stomach. The feeling of his strong arms wrapped around me felt…good.

"You're the bestest friend ever, Alls," he whispered in my ear.

_Friend. _It was reassuring to know where we stood together. I just got friend zoned."I know," I said slyly, trying hard not to make my voice crack.

Suddenly, the door to my bedroom flew open and Beth ran in. "Daddy said I could go!" she cheered happily, jumping onto my lap. "He said that he's going to drive me. It's on…" she cocked her head "…Tuesday?"

Austin laughed and bent down to be at Beth's height. "I'm pretty sure it said Wednesday on the invitation," he corrected Beth, ruffling her curls.

Beth beamed at me. "Yeah, Wednesday!" she said.

I smiled. "That's great Beth!" I told her. As soon as I said it, I felt a strange series of shivers run down my spine like an electric jolt. Something didn't feel right and suddenly, I wanted to kidnap my little sister to prevent her from going to that party on Wednesday.

Beth waved her arms in front of my face. "Are you okay Ally?" she asked.

I blinked and saw Austin looking at me questioningly, almost anxiously. I shook my head. "I'm fine," I assured them. "I'm just tired." The amount of lies I told in this one day was overwhelming. I had to stop.

Austin glanced at the clock that was on my night stand. It read 6:30. "I should get home," he said reluctantly, getting up from my bed. "My mom wants me home before dinner."

"Pancakes?" I guessed with a smile.

"Blueberry," Austin grinned. I rolled my eyes affectionately at my best friend.

On my lap, Beth squealed. "I like blueberries!" she raised her hand. "Can I come with you Austin? Please?" she peered up at him with wide eyes.

Austin looked at me expectantly and I shook my head. "Sorry, Beth," I told her. Her eyes drooped and I suddenly felt guilty. "But I can make you blueberry pancakes if you want," I offered. Austin perked up.

"Wait a second," he said, holding up his hand. "Are you serious?"

I raised a brow. "Yeah…" I said uncertainly.

Austin grabbed his phone from his pocket. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he dialed a number. After few rings, he spoke into the phone, "Hi Mom. Can I stay over at Ally's? She's making her famous pancakes."

* * *

_ "That boy really needs manners."_

_ I looked up from my airplane lunch of chicken fingers and pretzels. "What?" I asked in surprise. Austin was anything but rude. In fact, he was probably one of the most polite teenage boy I've ever met in my life. _

_ "Does he always invite himself to other people's houses?"_

_ Finally catching on to what Linda was upset about, I laughed. "No," I protested. "It's nothing like that. Austin is-" I cut off, realizing my mistake. "-was practically family." I finished it softly. _

_ Linda took another bite of her salad. I waited for her to say something, but instead, she swallowed and said, "Well, go on! Don't leave me hanging!" _

_ I let out a small laugh. "Okay, so Austin ended up staying over for dinner…he helped me make the blueberry pancakes, but honestly, Austin's not a cook."_

* * *

"I can't believe I'm making pancakes for dinner," I muttered to myself as I stirred up the batter. Beth was sitting at the kitchen table patiently, playing with her stuffed doll. Dad was next to her, calculating the taxes. And Austin…

"Pancakes are amazing," Austin stated, watching me stir.

I made a face. "Yeah, for breakfast."

Austin shook his head and gazed at me.  
"You are a very strange woman, Ally Dawson," he said. I decided to take it as a compliment.

"Since you're so eager to eat it, you might as well help out," I told him. "You can oil the pan. The vegetable oil should be somewhere in the top cabinet."

Dad got up from his seat. "I left some papers back at the store," he told me. "Can you guys watch Beth for a few minutes while I get it real quick?"

Austin replied for me. "No problem, Mr. Dawson," he grinned.

Dad shook his head. "Again, call me Lester," he told him. "Austin, we've known you technically since you were born. You're like family."

"Lester," Austin corrected himself.

Dad looked satisfied with that and he slipped on his coat before going out the door. I heard it close behind him. "Lester," Austin repeated to himself. I looked at him. "Lester." He turned to me. "Lester. Yeah, I'm never going to get used to it."

I laughed. "I'm sure you will," I assured him. "It just takes time."

"Lester?" Austin questioned. "That's like calling me Monica."

I bit my lip in laughter. "Okay, back to cooking," I said.

Beth nodded her head enthusiastically. She got down from her seat. "Can I help?" she begged, running over to us. I lifted her up to the counter and she grabbed the spoon from my hands, taking over my job.

Austin found the vegetable oil and poured it into the pan that was heating on the stove. Except for one problem…when I said pour, I literally meant _pour. _What was meant to be lightly _oiled _got filled to the brim with it.

"Austin!" I couldn't help but giggle. "When I say oil, I don't mean pour the whole thing in it." I made my way over towards him. I took the pan off of the stove and dumped the oil into the sink. What a waste.

My best friend looked at me, confused. "Then what do you mean?"

I shook my head and playfully pushed him away. "Let the professional do her work," I teased. He pouted as he made his way towards the living room. He turned on the TV.

"Ooo, SpongeBob," he said, rubbing his hands together as he made himself comfortable on the couch. Beth, at hearing that, nearly fell of the counter she ran to join him. "SpongeBob," she squealed, leaping on his lap.

I smiled as I got the batter and poured a scoop of it on the pan. It sizzled. As I waited for it to cook, I peered into the living room. Beth noticed me and gestured for me to come. "Watch SpongeBob with us Ally!"

"Can we watch something that's not, I don't know, for ages five and under?" I asked, sitting next to Austin on the couch, bouncing slightly.

Austin pretended to look offended. "Says the person who watches National Geographic," he teased, nudging me, his arms still wrapped around Beth.

"National Geographic is actually a really fun show," I protested.

Beth giggled. "It sounds boring," she said in a matter-of-fact voice. Austin laughed and gave her a small high five. I rolled my eyes at them.

I watched as SpongeBob was freaking out about getting a splinter on his finger. I blinked. "Okay, yeah," I said, completely monotone. "Give me the remote control." I reached for it but Austin held it up.

"But I want to watch it," he pouted, Beth coping his actions.

"Studies show that watching SpongeBob can make you dumber," I told him, making another attempt. "And I would rather not have my sister brain dead."

Austin looked at Beth in a way that seemed to say _can you believe her? _Beth looked at me with wide eyes. "My brain's not dead!" she exclaimed, feeling around her head. She turned to Austin. "Is it?"

"It's not," he assured her.

I jumped for the remote, but Austin rolled away, falling off the couch, onto the floor. I leaped on him. Now, my dad, being the over protective father he was, was aware of me and Austin's ways and made sure to pad everywhere in the house in some way. So when I hit the floor, it didn't hurt at all.

Austin pinned me to the floor. He tossed the remote to Beth. "Run!" he said overdramatically. "Run while you still can! For the sake of SpongeBob!"

Beth giggled and clutched it to her chest protectively, running out of the room as fast as her little legs could run. I shook my head and laughed, trying to get out of his grip. "Okay, you won," I grunted, struggling. "Now let me go."

"I don't think so Miss Dawson," Austin said smugly. "No one insults SpongeBob Square Pants and gets away with it." Oh, you have to be kidding me.

Austin picked me up bridal style and started to spin me around. I giggled and shut my eyes tight. "Austin!" I whined. "Put me down!"

"Not till you admit that SpongeBob is the most amazing sponge ever," Austin laughed. When I refused to say, he spun me around until I was sure that I was going to throw up on him.

"Okay, okay!" I gave in, raising my hands in surrender. The spinning immediately stopped and Austin peered down at me, still not putting me down. "SpongeBob is the most amazing sponge ever," I said grudgingly.

Austin smirked at me. That's when I realized how unbelievably close we were together. His chest was rising and falling steadily against my side. Our faces were so close; I could feel his breath as he took in heavy breaths. We locked eyes and my heartbeat started to pick up. His gorgeous hazel eyes examined my face.

"Ally," he began softly.

Beth ran in, interrupting him. And what did Austin do? Not put me down, no. Instead, he oh-so-gently dropped me. I hit the ground hard. "Sorry, sorry, sorry," Austin apologized frantically, helping me up.

I laughed nervously. "It's okay," I said unsteadily, my mind pounding at what just happened. Were Austin and I going to…kiss? It was my dream for so long…no. He liked Cassidy. Cassidy the beautiful blond, not Ally the nerd.

Beth hopped on foot to foot, trying to get our attention. "Ally," she said, grabbing my arm and leading me to the kitchen. "Look!" She gave a giggle. "The pancakes are on fire!"

As if it was perfect timing, the fire alarm went off. Panic hit me hard. I totally forgot about the pancakes! "Oh no!" I exclaimed, skittering towards the kitchen with the thought of me and Austin's 'moment' still in my mind.

* * *

"Sing to me," Beth ordered as I tucked her into bed. I laughed.

Austin, who was on the other side of the bed, grabbed the guitar that was propped up against Beth's bedroom wall specifically for that purpose. "Okay, okay," he said in amusement, "hold your horses."

Beth giggled as she snuggled under the covers. She absolutely loved it when Austin and I sang to her before she went to bed. Usually, I would just sing because…for the obvious reason, Austin can't come over every night. But when he was here, Beth could never conceal her excitement.

Austin started to play a few chords, looking at me to make sure I got an idea at what song he was suggesting. I smiled as a response and waited until I had a feel of the tune. Finally, I began, rocking back and forth to the music.

_I'm a little butterfly_

_Spread my colorful wings_

_Even though I'm small and frail_

_I can do most anything_

Austin took over the next part, smiling as he did so.

_Caterpillar in a cocoon _

_I'm gonna be a butterfly soon_

For the next part, our voices blended together perfectly as it always did. It was as if they were made for each other. I heard Beth sigh in content.

_I'm a little butterfly_

_I can soar through the sky_

_So glad I ended up like this_

_Thanks to metamorphosis_

_I'm a butterfly_

_I'm a butterfly, yeah_

_I'm a butterfly _

Beth snored softly as she fell asleep. I smiled and stroked her hair. I felt Austin's eyes on me. "What?" I asked him, looking up. He was so startled that he almost dropped his guitar on the floor. I snickered.

"What?" Austin asked.

"You were staring at me."

Austin laughed nervously. "W-What do you mean?" he asked, rubbing his neck, which was only something he did when he got really anxious about something. I looked at him in amusement.

* * *

_"You're blind girl."_

_ I frowned at Linda, who was leaning back in her seat peacefully. "What do you mean?" I asked, the thought of my story momentarily gone from my mind. _

_ Linda adjusted the glasses that were set neatly on the bridge of her nose. "I may need glasses," she said, "but even I can see, or hear, that Austin's crazy for you. How could you not notice that?"_

_ "It's a lot harder than it sounds," I tried to defend myself. I fidgeted in my seat. "How was I supposed to know? I'm not good at that stuff." _

_ She laughed. "Well, here's a tip: if a boy stares at you, it usually means that he likes you." I pouted, making her laugh even more. _

_ "Thanks," I said drily, "I'll try to keep that in mind."_

* * *

"Just admit it," I said jokingly. "You find me irresistible." I tossed my hair over my shoulder, biting my lip to contain my laughter. Austin shook his head and smiled at me, "You're crazy, you know that Alls?"

"Says the person who crashed into a locker today," I rolled my eyes.

"Says the person who almost set the house on fire," Austin shot back.

"That was an accident! I didn't mean to let the pancakes burn!"

Beth stirred in her sleep. I almost totally forgot she was there. Gesturing for Austin to follow, I silently made my way out of her room. Once Austin was out, I quietly closed the door.

"So what do you want to do?" Austin asked, making his way downstairs.

I glanced at the clock. It was 8:00 and the girls were supposed to come at 8:45 so I still had some time to hang out with Austin. "We have a jam out session?" I suggested. I didn't even have to wait for an answer. I knew Austin loved our jam out sessions just as much as I did.

Ever since we were younger, my dad had set up the basement of our house with instruments: pianos, keyboards (there is a difference), drums, guitars, you name it. And ever since then, Austin and I would spend hours down there, singing our heart out and goofing around.

It was a time when…it just made me want Austin more.

Without another word, I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him down the stairs.

**How was it? The next chapter is when Ally has her 'girl night' and things with Cassidy get a little crazy ;)**

**Before I go, I just want to ask, how do you guys like Beth and Linda? Because honestly, this is the first time I've used OCs as major characters. Are they okay? I'd love to hear your thoughts on them :)**

**Don't forget to R&R :D **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reviewing! I really enjoyed reading every one of them :D **

**Ausllyluver33: Thank you so much! I'll definitely take your advice )**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

"We're here!"

Both Austin and I took a step back as Trish literally screamed in my face. I winced as Austin snickered behind me. "Yeah," I said, "we can see that."

I saw Austin tense and looking behind Trish, I could see why. Trish has really brought everyone: Kira, Laura, Brooke…and Cassidy. They all waved but I hardly noticed. My focus was on Austin, who was looking like a lovesick puppy.

Only Trish noticed, raised a perfectly arched brow at me. I shook my head, signaling that I would explain later. I gestured for them all to come in.

"Hey Austin," Kira said with a flirty smile, her gaze completely wiping past me and landing right on him. "I didn't know you'll be here."

Normally, I hated when girls, especially my friends, would flirt with Austin. But honestly, seeing Kira trying to gain Austin's attention was hilarious, even more when he obviously got uncomfortable…like now.

I smirked as I watched Austin shift his feet and mutter something about getting home. "I'll see you later, Alls," he said, grabbing his jacket from the coat hanger by the door. I nodded as he put on his windbreaker, expecting him to leave. Instead he gave me a hug, completely throwing me off balance.

The sparks were running all through my body. _Stop it, _I ordered myself. _It's just a hug. _But the feeling was growing to the point where it made me feel giddy. And I never wanted it to stop. Butterflies flew in my stomach

I snapped out of my thoughts when Austin bent down and whispered in my ear, "Don't forget, Wingman." My heart immediately sank. He let go of me and giving me a quick wink, left out the door.

The rest of the girls were on the stairs, smirking at me smugly, but I hardly noticed. Because whatever they thought, they were wrong. I was his wingman. He wanted a girl. A girl who wasn't me.

* * *

"You have a lot to explain Allyson Dawson."

Trish attacked me in the kitchen, as I was popping popcorn for the movie that the girls were setting up in the living room. "There's nothing to explain," I said innocently, because this was the last thing I wanted to talk about.

She looked at me in exasperation. "Don't play innocent with me!" she said. "What just happened when Austin left? I saw the way he looked at Cassidy, and I definitely know you did. Then he hugged-"

I grabbed a handful of the popcorn kernels and stuffed it in her mouth to silent her. Trish has a naturally loud voice and with Cassidy in the next room, she could hear what we're talking about naturally. Her eyes widened immediately, coughing out the kernels in the sink.

"You're so loud," I groaned, closing my eyes.

Trish shrugged. "It's a gift. But stop getting off topic!"

I sighed and put the can of popcorn kernels on the counter. "Fine," I said quietly, making sure no one was in the kitchen. "Austin has a crush on Cassidy-"

Trish's eyes widened. "Oh, Ally, I'm so-"

"-and he wants me to be his wingman," I finished.

If I wasn't feeling so bad right now, I would have laughed at Trish's expression: jaw dropped and eyes wide. "W-What?" she stammered. "You can't tell me that you agreed to that." When I didn't answer, she frowned.

"I couldn't say no," I protested.

* * *

_"Yes you could."_

_I gave Linda a pointed look. "No really helping," I told her. _

_ Linda shrugged. "I'm sorry dear," she said. "But you could have said 'no'."_

_ "No," I said helplessly. "It's not that easy-"_

_ "There you go!" she encouraged. "See? Was saying 'no' that hard?"_

_ Even though she was annoying me to the point I wanted to scream, I couldn't help but smile. Linda nodded in triumph. "Okay," I reasoned. "Maybe I could have said no, but it's…Austin and…" I fumbled for words. _

_ "And…"_

_ I looked down at my feet. My heart suddenly felt like it decided to gain a few extra pounds because it was weighing me down. My throat felt dry, but Linda was looking at me expectantly. "I-I agreed because…he looked at me so pleadingly and…" the words caught in my throat. Don't say it, they seemed to say, you're going to make the pain worse. _

_ Linda looked at me softly, the teasing gone from her eyes. "Go on," she said. _

_ Swallowing hard, I nodded. You could do this, I thought. As if it was anti-Ally's thoughts, my eyes pricked with tears. "I-I agreed because…he's Austin Moon." I finally looked up to meet Linda's eyes. "Austin Monica Moon: my best friend and the guy I'm so helplessly in love with." _

* * *

"Girl, you got it bad," Trish shook her head as I finished explaining what I promised Austin I would do. "If Dez asked me to help him with another girl, I would have just punch him in the face and tell him to go to-"

I interrupted her. "Well, it's too late to back out now," I said, "I already agreed to be his wingman. And I'm not going to let him down. I'm going to do it."

Trish shook her head disapprovingly. "Chica," she clicked her tongue. "Tú está loca en la cabeza. Nunca se tiene el chico de sus sueños en este tipo de." 

I stared at her blankly. "Does that mean that I'm being a good friend, wishing for the happiness of my best friend even if it's destroying me inside?" I asked hopefully, even though I doubted.

Shaking her head, she gave a small laugh, "Don't keep your hopes up."

* * *

"Thanks for inviting me," Cassidy told me as I helped her set up her sleeping bag in the living room while Kira, Brooke, Laura, and Trish argued on whether to watch chick flicks or horror movies.

I laughed. "No problem," I smiled, setting down her purple sleeping bag on the ground. "I mean, it must be nerve wrecking to be the new kid."

Cassidy shrugged. "It's actually not that bad," she said, "I mean, you're school is really nice and Miami's great. You guys have been really welcoming, especially you and Austin," she winked, going back to setting up her sleeping arrangement.

I gave a nervous laugh and frowned. This wasn't good. From how I'm doing right now, I'll probably be fired from being a wingman soon. "Um…" I stammered. Cassidy looked up. "What do you mean?"

"You don't have to hide it, Ally," Cassidy laughed. "It's obvious you and Austin have some sort of chemistry going on. Even I can see that, and I suck at chemistry!" Giggling, she waited for my reaction.

"Uh…" I fumbled, not knowing what to say. It's not like I could just say _Trust me, Austin likes you not me. In fact, I'm helping him with trying to get you two together right now when it's really the last thing I want to do! _"We don't like each other like that."

"Denial's not just a river in Egypt."

"But-"

Laura came up to us, cutting me off. "Okay," she said, holding up two movies. "You guys are the tie breakers. It's between _The Notebook _or _Zaliens 8 My Brains_." She held each one up in turn.

"Zaliens," Cassidy said, almost immediately while I said, "The Notebook."

I turned to look at the blond girl, the feeling in my stomach growing. Wow. She really was perfect for Austin, but apparently she was thinking differently. Cassidy thinks that Austin and I are together.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

* * *

Monday. The day I've been dreading. The day I have to sing in front of the whole class. With Austin. I almost totally forgot about it. In fact, I was perfectly fine the whole weekend until I woke up on Monday morning.

I groaned and turned in my bed, burying my face into my pillow. I couldn't do this. I considered my few (but still possible) options:

Call in sick and skip school

Say that I lost my voice

Back out

_Forget it, _I thought. There's no way Austin would buy any of that. Yes, he wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box, but he was still smart enough to figure out that I was trying to avoid all of this.

"Ally?" Beth's small voice drew me out of my thoughts.

I looked up from my pillow, through the curls that were covering my face, to see my little sister poking her head through my door, looking at me with wide eyes. I sat up, pulling my hair into a loose pony tail. "Hi Beth!" I smiled.

"Morning," she said cheerfully, running up to the side of my bed. "Daddy says that you have to come downstairs and eat breakfast." Seeing my frown, she added, tilting her head, "Are you okay?"

I looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?"

Beth climbed up on my bed. "Because you look sad," she said simply, pushing her lips down with her fingers to mimic a frown. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm fine," I assured her. "I just have to sing in school today."

My sister looked at me, confused. "But you like to sing," she said.

"Of course," I told her, "but I need to sing in front of my school." I tried to explain, but I knew Beth wouldn't get it. I don't even know if 'stage fright' is in her vocabulary at her age.

As if to prove my point, she looked at me, confused. "But you sing to me all the time," she said. "People at your school will love it! Have they ever heard you sing before? Are you going to sing them to sleep like you do to me?"

_People at your school will love it. _I smiled and got out of bed. If my five year old sister believes in me, why can't I too? "Thanks Beth," I told her gratefully.

"What did I do?" she asks me, cocking her head.

"A lot," I smiled, helping her down from my bed. "You can tell Daddy that I'll be down soon, okay?" She nodded and rushed out of my room. As soon as she left, I checked my clock. 7:35. I cursed silently. I had ten minutes to get ready.

I ran towards my closet, quickly picking out an outfit of a frilly polka-dot top and hot pink skinny jeans along with wedges. I brushed my teeth and curled my hair, tying it up into a messy bun. Five minutes later, I was done.

Running down the stairs, I almost tripped over my dad. "Sorry!"

He laughed. "Alls, you're late," he said.

"I know, I know," I said quickly.

"Breakfast's on the table," he called after me as I ran into the kitchen.

I skittered into the kitchen, almost tripping on my wedges. "Look Ally!" Beth said at the kitchen table. "Daddy made pancakes! And they're not black!"

"Hey," I corrected her, "The only reason they were burnt last night was because of Sponge Bob." Beth giggled. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Beth nodded as I grabbed an apple and my backpack. "Bye!" she waved.

* * *

"And now, for a very special treat…"

I took a deep breath. My heart was pounding. Even from outside the band room, I could hear Miss Hill announcing us. Next to me, Austin looked at me, adjusting the guitar that was strapped around his back.

"You ready for this?" he asked.

"N-No," I stammered. I felt like I was going to throw up.

He looked down at me hesitantly. After pausing for a second, he took my hand in his. My breath caught in my throat and every thought of performing on stage disappeared. "Hey," he said softly. "I'm going to be right there with you."

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the tingling sensation that his hand contact with mine made. "Okay," I finally managed to get out. He smiled at me and a new confidence surged through me. _Focus Ally, _I told myself. _Thank about Cassidy. Cassidy and Austin. Cassidy and Austin. Cassidy and Austin. _

"And now!" my hearing inverted to what Miss Hill was saying in the band room. "Let's all welcome, Austin Moon and Ally Dawson!"

Austin looked at me questioningly. I nodded. "I'm ready."

* * *

I stood there, in the front of the hundreds of eyes watching me. Austin nudged me encouragingly before starting to play the chords for the song, the sound of the guitar filling up the quiet room.

Swallowing hard, I remembered what Beth said. _People at your school would love it. _I closed my eyes and tried to picture her right there in front of me, like I was singing her to sleep, like I've done countless times before.

_(Ally- italicized, _**Austin- bold, **both- underlined_)_

_"When you're alone, _

_Drowning alone,_

_And you need a rope_

_That can pull you in_

_Someone will throw it_

I felt my heart pounding as I got out the solo portion of the song. I could feel everyone's eyes on me. I turned to Austin, trying not to meet the crowd. He nodded slightly. _Just like we always do it, _he seemed to be saying.

**And when you're afraid**

**That you're gonna break**

**And you need a way to feel**

**Strong again**

**Someone will throw it**

I felt my confidence growing. I didn't hesitate to sing the next notes. Austin joined in. I smiled slightly as I heard our voices blend together.

And even when it hurts the most

Try to have a little hope

'Cause someone's gonna be there when you don't

When you don't…

If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder

If you want to laugh, I'll be your smile

If you want a fly, I will be your sky 

Anything you need,

That's what I'll be

If you want to climb, I'll be your ladder

If you want to run, I'll be your road

If you want a friend,

Doesn't matter when

Anything you need,

That's what I'll be

You can come to me

Our eyes locked. Austin smiled slightly and suddenly, everything-the room, people, and Miss Hill- disappeared until it was just me and him. A strange feeling of affection turned in my stomach. Something I've never experienced before.

Clapping brought me back into reality. I looked away from Austin, almost in shock to see everyone on their feet, clapping. Cassidy was one of the loudest ones, grinning from ear to ear.

"They love you," Austin whispered.

* * *

_I stopped suddenly. Linda looked at me in surprise. "What's wrong?" she asked. _

_ "Nothing," I assured her. "It's just…there's no words to describe how I felt."_

_ Linda nodded understandingly. "You conquered your stage fright. I bet you must have felt ecstatic and very proud of yourself."_

_ I pursed my lips. "It was more than that," I told her. "I realized something when I went home after school that day." _

_ "What?"_

* * *

As I lied in bed, thinking about what just happened today, it hit me.

The strange feeling that was in my stomach. The strange feeling of 'affection'. It wasn't affection, no. It was something much more. What I regarded as a 'crush' happens to be much more. I was in love with Austin Moon.

**Yey! Ally finally admits that she's in love with Austin! Whoohoo!**

**Anyway, I have a quick question: who's ready to see a jealous Austin? Yep, I plan on adding a little of that in the future, because really, what's better than a jealous Austin ;)**

**Don't forget to R&R! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Ahhhhhh! You guys are amazing! Seriously! 59 reviews on the fourth chapter? Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! I hope you really love this chapter. Warning: major cliffhanger. I also threw in a jealous Austin for you guys ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

It's the first period of the day: gym. I loved school, really. It was a well known fact. But physical education? I don't care if it has the word 'education', I still despise it. Running laps and facing the wrath of Coach Quinn? No way.

But today must have been my lucky day, because we were ditching the usual laps and playing the most competitive games in the history of games:

Dodge ball.

After splitting us up into two separate teams and going to our separate sides, I cracked my knuckles in anticipation. I may not be the most athletic girl in the grade, but I definitely went all out in dodge ball.

I quickly scanned the people on my team, almost instantly recognizing Trish, Laura, and Kira, who was busy picking at her nails. But I didn't see the face I was hoping to. Oh no. I looked on the other side of the gym, where the opposing team was getting ready. And sure enough, Austin was smirking at me.

We were unbelievably competitive when it comes to sports and games like this. Likewise, it was hardly common that we were ever put on the same team…in anything. So most of the time, gym ends in complete chaos.

"Going down Dawson!" Austin called over the chatter of the gym.

I shook my head. "You're going to eat those words, Moon," I laughed.

"Okay," Coach Quinn yelled. "If you get out, you stay out! We're playing until the last one's standing. Got it?" Everyone nodded their consent.

The coach blew the whistle and I immediately sprinted for the first ball in sight, not hesitating to wiz it at Elliot. "Sorry!" I called out as it came in contact with his stomach. I winced as he fell to the ground, moaning

On the other side, Austin clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You're being a bad girl Alls," he said teasingly, watching Elliot run out of the gym to the nurse.

I huffed and threw a ball at him, but he dodged it easily.

As the game went on, I paused and tried to catch my breath. As the pool of players decreased, the harder Austin tried to get me out. And Austin has a wickedly good throw.

"You're not going to get me out that easily," I smirked, moving out of the way as a dodge ball shot past my head, just barely missing me.

"Watch me," Austin said slyly.

The game went on until it was just down to around ten people on each team. And honestly, I was getting exhausted. I could tell that Austin was losing it too. As I knocked Dez out, I turned to Austin in triumph.

Instead, I found him talking to Cassidy and I immediately felt my hand clench. He was laughing at something he said, playing with the yellow dodge ball that was in his hands. His eyes were sparkling and he was looking at her with so much…

Out of instinct, my arm swung forward, throwing the ball that was in my hands with so much force that it flew in the air... hitting Cassidy right in the head.

* * *

_"Someone was jealous." _

_ I sunk into my seat. "I didn't mean to." Seeing Linda's pointed look, I tried to defend myself. "Maybe I was a little jealous. But I had every right to be. Every time I would turn around, there he was, talking to her." I sniffed. _

_ Linda smiled sadly at me, seeing that I was upset. "What happened?"_

_ "Austin didn't handle it very well."_

_ "He was mad?"_

_ "More like furious."_

* * *

"How many times to I have to apologize? It was an accident!" I said, huffing as I chased after Austin. "Even Cassidy forgave me, and she's the one who got hurt!"

Austin ignored me, almost hitting me with the backpack that was tossed over his shoulder as he pushed past me. Adjusting my own book bag, I tried to keep up with him in my wedges. "I don't see why you're so angry!"

"Why did you have to hit her in the face?" Austin said angrily, clearly avoiding my gaze. He looked side to side before crossing the road to his house. His voice came out raspy and irritated, but at least he was talking to me.

I scowled and opened my mouth to retort when he hissed, "All she did was talk to me! Is that a crime? Why does it seem whenever I even _talk _to her, you always seem to interrupt? I thought you were supposed to be my wingman in this! You're supposed to help me, not ruin my chance with her! I think that I'll actually be better off without you!"

Hurt. That was the first thing I felt. Tears pricked my eyes as his words stung me hard. "Well I'm sorry if I'm being such a bad friend," I snapped. "If you really want someone to 'help' you, why don't you try finding yourself a new wingman because obviously you don't want me around?"

Austin's eyes widened. "No, Ally, I didn't mean it like that-"

Ignoring him, I shoved past him. Hugging my jacket to my chest, I tried to blink back my tears and swallow the words that were climbing up my throat.

Austin and I barely fought. Even then, it was minor, small fights that we got over in a matter of a few hours. It was never like this. _It's all Cassidy's fault, _I thought, scowling. Without her, I wouldn't even be in this mess.

* * *

Wednesday. It was probably the worst day in my entire life.

All my classes went by in a blur. It was like my brain was in a rotation: locker, books, notes, work. Locker, books, notes, work. That was the whole morning portion of my classes. I didn't even bother to talk to anyone, even Trish.

Everyone came by my locker, asking if everything was okay. I told them that I was fine, just a) tired, b) not feeling well, c) got a bad grade on a test. And surprisingly, they believed me.

Austin hasn't talked to me ever since I ran away from him. Actually, he tried to, but I either avoided or ignored him. I had nothing to say to him. When lunch came around, I was totally unprepared.

Our table consisted of Trish, Laura, Kira, Brooke, Dez, Dallas…and Austin. I almost scared myself as I forgot that Austin sat with me at lunch. So I resolved to just eat and stare at my feet for the rest of the period.

* * *

_"You don't know how to react to a crisis do you?" Linda asked. _

_ What was this? Insult Ally Day? "I do," I said defensively. "I just didn't want to talk to Austin, that's all. I wasn't ready after all those things he said to me."_

_ Linda observed me. "I'm starting to see your problem, Ally Dawson."_

_ "Who said I had a problem?"_

_ "You run away when things get tough. You don't face them."_

_ I frowned. "No I don't!"_

_ "Then why are you on this flight to New York?"_

_ My mouth immediately closed. She got me. A lump grew in my throat. "Can we just get on with the story?" I asked raggedly, hoping to change the subject._

_ Linda still looked at me, concerned, but she gestured for me to go on. _

* * *

"Hey Ally," a voice said behind me.

I looked up from my lunch of fruit and peanut butter jelly sandwich in surprise. The chatter around my table almost dissolved immediately. I turned around to see Elliot behind me. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't shocked.

Elliot was the most popular boy in school, with Austin a close second. He was the quarterback of the football team. And with the brown hair, soft eyes, and charming smile, girls loved him. He was something of a player, you could say.

Okay…and I did have a crush on him _before_ Austin. But that was years ago.

"Hi," I said cautiously.

"Hi," Austin echoed from his seat across the table from me, breaking off from his conversation with Dez. He gave Elliot a not-so-friendly smile before waving rudely, "Buh-bye!"

I turned around to scowl at Austin. "Don't be rude!" I told him, totally forgetting that I was supposed to be ignoring him right now. Going back to Elliot, I smiled and said, "What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to say that you did great in dodge ball yesterday," Elliot rubbed the back of his neck. "And you have a really good arm."

Wincing, I remembered the possible bruise I gave him in the stomach. "Sorry about that," I said sheepishly, blushing slightly.

"Yeah," Austin spoke up. "She's really sorry. Hope your mom kissed it better! Nice talking to you! Bye now!"

I couldn't help but let a trace of annoyance flash in my eyes. Beside me, Trish started going into an unnecessary round of giggles. "Austin!" I frowned. What the heck was wrong with him?

Elliot ignored him. "Anyway," he went on, "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go on a date with me sometime? There's this new movie out-"

That completely threw me off. It wasn't every day that a (hot) guy asked me out. I mean, I knew I wasn't ugly, but guys like Elliot seemed to prefer fun-loving girls…not ones who would rather stick their nose in a book than go to parties.

I hesitated. Even though my body protested, I couldn't help but flash a glance at Austin. He didn't look too good. His hands were clenched and he was looking at Elliot with so much hate, I had to look away.

"Um…" I stammered. Should I? I remembered the feelings I felt when I was performing with Austin in front of everyone and I was about to say no. But then I remembered Cassidy and how Austin wanted _her. _I should move on…right? My lips felt dry as I opened my mouth to reply when Austin beat me to it.

"Sorry," Austin said, much to my annoyance, "But Ally isn't interested in geeky, idiotic movies because if it's anything like you, it'll be bad."

My jaw dropped. The whole table was in fits of laughter now, but I didn't see anything funny about any of this. "Can I speak to you Austin for a second?" I said, gritting my teeth and getting up from my seat.

Austin got up from his seat obediently, still glaring at Elliot.

Giving Elliot an apologetic look, I grabbed Austin by the hood of his sweatshirt and dragged him out of the cafeterias. I took him to the one place where I knew we would have privacy: the band room.

"What was that?" I blurted out as soon as I closed the door behind us.

"What was what?" Austin asked innocently.

I scowled. "You know what I'm talking about," I fumed. "You were the one telling me yesterday that I was ruining your love life. Now look who's talking."

Austin ran his hands through his hair. "Sorry Alls," he said, but he didn't look sorry at all. "I'm just don't think that he's the right guy for you."

"But it's my life," I glowered. Anger surged through my body. Who was he to tell me which guys I'm allowed to date? "I think I can take care of myself."

"Guys like him are bad news," Austin protested.

"He seems nice enough."

Austin looked at me helplessly. "Please Alls," he begged.

"Why?" I demanded.

"B-because I don't want to see you get hurt!" Austin said not-so-convincingly.

I stared at him. "And you say I'm the bad liar."

Austin glared at me. "Ally!" he said, snapping me back into the main subject. "Just please promise me that you won't go out with him."

"Why?"

"B-because," Austin fumbled. He glared in frustration. "Just don't, okay?"

I looked at him in exasperation. That had to be the lamest excuse I've ever heard. "I can't believe you Austin!" I said angrily. "How can you just assume-" my phone started to ring, interrupting me.

"This isn't over," I scowled, opening up my phone.

"Oh you bet it's not," Austin said under his breath.

Ignoring him, I answered the call. "Hello?" I asked.

"Is this Miss Ally Dawson?" an unknown voice answered.

"Yes," I replied cautiously.

"Hello, Miss Dawson. I'm sorry to inform you, but there was a car accident that happened earlier today. And I'm afraid that Mr. Dawson and the young girl with him were victims."

**Dun dun dun! I know, I know, you guys are probably going to be mad at me. But I promise that I'll try to update ASAP! :)**

**Don't forget to R&R! **


	6. Chapter 6

**You guys are amazing! Thank you all so much for the reviews! 77 reviews on the fifth chapter?! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you! You all literally made me the happiest person alive. **

**Anyway, I worked all day on this chapter. I actually can't believe I finished it, because the whole time I was writing it, I was in tears. I really hope you like this chapter. It is one of the few dramatic scenes in this story. **

**xxDimplesxxSmilesxxLove: Thank you so much! Your review made me smile so big, I almost burst. To answer your question, I try to update daily. Usually it's 1-2 day period of time :)**

**Ausllyluver33: I would love to write a iCarly story, especially since I honestly love Creddie. It's just that I'm working on three stories at the same time, I don't know if I'll be able to update them all frequently. But definitely when I get out of school for summer :) Remind me then! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing :)**

**Warning: Box of tissues highly suggested **

There are times in everyone's lives where you just want to die. Because nothing could hurt more than the pain you're in. You just want to get away. Be anywhere but where you are. As soon as I heard that my family got in a car accident, I wanted to run. Escape from the problems that I never wanted to face.

But I stayed in my spot, my legs refusing to move. "Miss Dawson?" I heard the doctor on the other end ask nervously. "Are you still there? Miss Dawson?"

I couldn't find my voice. Austin, who I almost totally forgot was in the room, looked at me in confusion, as if he was wondering why I was currently frozen. "Miss Dawson?" the caller tried again.

Austin seemed to realize that I needed help because he took the phone from my still hands and held it up to his ear. "Hello?" he asked. Pause. "Yeah." There was a slightly longer pause. Austin turned pale. "Okay, we'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone, shaking so hard I was sure that he was going to fall to the ground. I could tell that he was trying to be strong for my sake. I felt my knees wobble unsteadily and the tears start to come. Austin caught me just in time.

We both crumpled to the floor, his arms wrapped around me. "It's okay," he whispered as I sobbed into his shirt. _No! _I wanted to yell. _It's not okay! _

My heart ached as I let out everything, crying until my body was sure to run out of tears as the news slowly soaked into me. My family was in the hospital. We sat there for what seems like hours, Austin just holding me, not saying a word.

Finally, he spoke up, his voice so weak it surprised me. "Alls, we have to go," he said softly, "They're waiting for us at the hospital." Not even waiting for my response, he helped me to my feet and guided me out the school.

* * *

Hospitals. I never realized how much I hated them. Just the whole idea of being in it means that you could be close to death, that there's still that chance. I tried to keep the thought out of my mind, but it kept on coming back.

I've never been so thankful for my best friend before. Austin was the only thing that was keeping me together. As he led me into the hospital, I realized without him, I would probably still be at school, curled up in a ball and crying my eyes out.

"Keep it together Alls," Austin murmured, as if he could read my thoughts.

Together, we walked, or more like stumbled, up to the desk, where a secretary was writing something down on a clipboard. She looked up when she heard us coming. One look and her expression softened. "Miss Dawson?" she guessed.

I gave a trembling nod because I still couldn't get my voice to work. "Down the hall, first room to the right" the secretary said gently, like she was dealing with a small child, pointing to the other side of the building.

Austin thanked her quickly and rushed me down the cold marble hallways of the hospital. We were both so panicked that it wasn't a surprise that we crashed into a man as Austin nearly threw the door open to the hospital room.

"Whoa," the man, which I assumed was the doctor based on his attire. Regaining himself, he examined me and Austin, his eyes scrolling up and down us. "You must be Miss Dawson and Mr. Moon," he said at last.

I forced my voice to work, pushing it until the words just slipped out of my mouth. "Where are they?" I asked, my voice coming out stronger than I expected. "What happened? Are they okay? Are they awake? Is Beth-"

The doctor stopped me gently. "We have to talk," was all he said.

* * *

_A tear that I promised myself wouldn't fall, fell as I cut short of the story. Linda noticed, I could tell, but she didn't say anything, which I was thankful for. "Do you need some time?" she asked carefully. _

_I shook my head stubbornly. "I'm fine," I insisted. "I-I need to finish this."_

_ Linda still looked unsure, but she didn't question it. She waited patiently as I took a deep breath, trying to form my words together. _

_ Trembling slightly, I said, "The doctor me and Austin that a drunk driver crashed into my dad's car when he was driving Beth to her birthday party. My dad was okay. He had slight injuries. A few broken bones. He was going to be okay." I had to stop because my voice was making a horrible cracking sound. _

_ "And Beth?" Linda asked softly. _

_ "V-vital o-organs got damaged from the crash," I stammered out. That was all I could take. "Excuse me," I muttered, getting up from my seat. Squeezing past her, I rushed towards the small airplane bathroom. _

_ Slamming the door, I locked it. Pressing my back against the wall, I slid down with my knees hugged against my body. I rubbed my temples hard with my thumbs. "Get yourself together Ally," I told myself. _

_ Against my will, I found myself going back to the time at the hospital…_

* * *

The doctor told us straight out. There was nothing they could do. I don't know what I felt. I wanted to yell at his face, telling him that there could be something they could do to save my sister. I wanted to scream, cry, and run away.

But I stood there, completely stiff, not moving. Tears didn't come and I quickly swallowed the sob that was running up my throat. I just stared at the doctor blankly, my vision slowly blurring.

Austin wasn't much better. His face was as pale as a ghost. I saw the smallest tear slip out of his hazel eyes, but glancing at me, he quickly wiped it away. Then out of nowhere, he jumped to his feet and ran out of the room.

* * *

_Be strong. Be strong. Be strong. _I thought as I stared at the door to Beth's room. _Be strong. Be strong. Be strong. Be strong for her. Be strong for Beth. _

I promised myself that I wouldn't cry or to do anything that would make it harder for my little sister. I couldn't. That wouldn't be fair to her. She couldn't see me sobbing my eyes out at her death bed. No. I was going to make every second of her life count. She deserved it.

Taking a trembling breath, I slowly opened the door. My heart pounded, scared at what I was going to see. As I opened it wider, I started to see Beth's figure on the hospital bed, sleeping soundly, a mob of curls surrounding her face.

"You can do this," I whispered to myself before stepping fully into the room, making sure to close the door firmly behind me.

Beth stirred in her sleep, her eyes opening up a crack. Immediately, her eyes lit up. "Ally!" she nearly yelled, but quickly coughed in pain. I almost broke my promise to myself right on the spot as I felt my knees tremble.

"Hey," I said quietly, not trusting myself to speak louder.

"Everything hurts Ally," she whimpered.

I blinked back my tears as I made my way to her bed. "I know sweetie," I squeaked out, clearing my throat. I sat down at the edge of her bed. "I know."

Beth's heavy coughs slowly got weaker. She looked up at me with wide eyes. "Are we going to go home to see Daddy?" she asked hopefully. "I don't like this place, Ally. I want to leave and go see Daddy and Austin."

I couldn't do this. That was the conclusion I came to. I had to bite my palm to keep myself from screaming. This wasn't fair! How come Beth, sweet, innocent, little Beth had to be taken from me so early? Why?!

"Um…" I stammered. Beth was looking at me intently for an answer so I cleared my throat and whispered, "You're going to be going to a new home, Beth. You're going to love it there. I-It's beautiful. You're going to be a princess."

Beth let out a small sound between a squeal and a cough. "Really?" she said excitedly. "Are you and Daddy going to come with me? Then Daddy can be a prince and you can be a princess with me!"

My breath caught in my throat. "Someday we'll be there," I promised her. "But…but first, you're going to go there by yourself. Mommy's going to be there."

I knew that she would know what I was talking about. Beth has never met our mom personally, but she heard enough about her. "Mommy?" she said, her eyes wide. "I'm going to see Mommy?"

"Yeah," I said hoarsely. I gave her a soft smile. "You're going to see Mommy."

Beth cocked her head. "When will we go see Mommy?"

I let out a small squeak. I could feel myself losing it. "I-I don't know."

"Can we say good bye to Austin first?"

"Sure, why not?" a voice said softly. Both Beth and my head turned to the door, where Austin was leaning against the doorway, his eyes blurred with what could only be tears. In his hands was a guitar. "But how about one last song first?"

* * *

_(Ally- italics, _Austin- underlined, **both- bolded**_)_

_I remember tears streaming down your face _

_When I said "I'll never let you go"_

_When all those shadows almost killed your light_

_I remember you said "Don't leave me here alone"_

_But all that's dead is gone and passed tonight_

I watched as Beth snuggled into her blankets, with an occasional wince of pain. I couldn't help but run by hands gently in her curls. Austin, who was on the other side of the bed, was watching us carefully as he played his guitar.

Just close your eyes, the sun is going down

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now_

Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound

Beth started closing her eyes and I felt panic build in me. _No! _I wanted to yell, to keep her awake as much as possible because I knew that if she closed her eyes, she may never open them again. Austin met my eyes, giving me a silent message: it'll be okay.

Don't you dare look out your window

Darling, everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullaby even when the music's gone

_Gone_

Austin licked his lips slightly as he sang his part, his eyes almost glued to Beth, who was slowly falling asleep. _Even when the music's gone. _

_Just close your eyes_

The sun is going down

_You'll be alright_

No one can hurt you now

_Come morning light_

You and I'll be safe and sound

As Austin and I began harmonizing softly, I watched Beth close her eyes, dozing off. Her chest rose up and down raggedly. I choked down a sob. _Beth._

**Just close your eyes**

I felt myself start to hyperventilate. Austin must have seen my panic, because he made his way over to me. "It's going to be okay," he whispered softly.

**You'll be alright**

Beth… She looked so peaceful. A small smiled appeared on her face.

**The morning light,**

**You and I'll be safe and-**

I let out a sob. Austin immediately dropped his guitar and wrapped his strong arms around me. As I fell to the ground, I brought him down with me. "Sound," he finished the song quietly, burring his face in my hair.

As I cried and cried into Austin's shoulder, I realized the horrible truth:

My sister was gone.

**I know. I know. I know. I'm cruel and you guys probably hate me now. But it is a huge part of the plot that I was planning from the beginning. It would really change the whole course of the story. But I PROMISE, there will be HAPPY ending. Cross my heart. **

**Please R&R!**


	7. Chapter 7

**YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Whoohoo! 103 REVIEWS?! That's amazing. Thank you guys so much. You all are AMAZING! All your reviews were just great and so supportive! Thank you thank you thank you!**

**Anyway, on with the next chapter ;)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the plot. **

"Ally, I swear, if you don't come on right now, I'm going to-" Trish's threat got cut off with an "oomph!" when the pillow I launched at her hit her perfectly on the face. I toss around in my bed, positioning myself so that I was facing the wall.

"Leave me alone," I mumbled, throwing my covers over my head.

Trish stomped up to my bedside and nearly ripped my blanket, exposing me to my cold, air conditioned room. Scowling, I tried to grab it back, but she held it out of my reach. "It's been three days!" she nearly yelled.

"Which is hardly anything!" I growled back. I wasn't ready to be reminded of my sister's death. It's been three days since Beth…went and all I wanted to do was dig a hole in the ground and never come back up.

Everyone else has been taking it fairly well, even my own dad. When Austin and I visited him to give him the news, he did struggle, it was obvious. But he wasn't a complete mess like I was. He was always the strong one in the family. Even when my mom died, he forced himself to stay calm.

He was one of those "don't re-live the past" guys.

Trish looked at me in frustration, like she wanted to scream. "You have to live your life Ally!" she said to me. "Beth wouldn't want you like…" she struggled for words before waving her hands wildly. "…that!"

I felt hot anger grow in my stomach. I didn't even try to respond.

My Latina friend sighed, calming herself down. "How about the funeral?"

Through my grief, pain, anger, and heartbreak, somehow shock managed to squeeze in. I looked up at her in surprise. "What?" I said, my voice turning out hoarse and weak. "There's no funeral."

For a moment, Trish looked at me suspiciously, like I was playing dumb. When she saw my blank expression, her eyes grew slightly wide. "Austin didn't tell you?" she asked. "He planned a funeral for Beth tomorrow."

I stared at her for a moment. Austin didn't tell me anything. In fact, it was as if for the past few days, he's been trying to avoid me. But we both knew that it was hardly the case. We were both going through our grieving processes. Alone.

"Trish," I finally managed to get out. "I-I can't-"

"Don't even think about ditching your own sister's funeral!" Trish snapped at me. "Even your dad's going to be there! Yeah. He told Austin that he was going to be there, even if the doctors had to wheel in his hospital bed to the cemetery!"

"B-But-"

"No 'buts' Ally Dawson. You have to heal. Let Beth go, Ally-gator."

* * *

Visitors came in and out the rest of the day to show their sympathy. Even Cassidy, who never met Beth as far as I knew, popped in. By dinner time, I was sick of hearing everyone's 'I feel for you' or 'It'll get better' or (my favorite) 'It would be okay'. Easy for them to say.

Just when I thought it was all over and was about to go hide myself under my bed covers again, the doorbell rang. I bit my lip to contain my frustration.

Throwing the front door open, I felt my heart sink a little. "Hi," I said tiredly. "I really appreciate your sympathy but I really need-" I stopped short, seeing who was at the door. It wasn't just any ordinary visitor.

Austin Moon shuffled his feet nervously. "Hey Alls," he said softly.

He looked good. A lot better than I was, at least. He was actually dressed into clean clothes with plaid button-up, ripped jeans with chains, dog tags, and sun glasses. His hair actually looked washed. And…he looked at peace, something that I wasn't for three days.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, harsher than I meant for it to be.

"I wanted to make sure you're okay," Austin said, before immediately wincing, realizing how stupid that must have sounded. An awkward silence filled the room, something that I definitely wasn't used to with Austin.

He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Look," he said quietly, his gaze falling to the floor. "I know that you're angry and sad and think that this is all so unfair. I felt the same way. But… B-Beth is in a better place now and…"

My head snapped up towards him, almost daring him to continue. "And…?"

"And I let her go," Austin finished simply.

I experienced a slight déjà vu as I remembered what Trish said to me this morning. About letting Beth go. Couldn't anyone see that I didn't want to let my little sister go? I didn't want to lose it all. To lose the times when Beth was being her innocent self. To miss the times when she would grow older.

As if reading my mind, Austin said, "I know it's hard. But over the three days…I've realized that Beth wouldn't want us to be sad. She never liked seeing this-" he pushed the tips of his mouth down with his fingers, forming a frown. Something that Beth did so many times before.

For the first time in a long time, a small laugh escaped out of my mouth. And for the first time, it didn't hurt to think of my little sister. The slightest bit of hope fluttered in my stomach. Austin smiled in triumph.

I remembered what I swore to myself when I was going to visit Beth before she died. _Stay strong. Stay strong for Beth. _"I'll stay strong for you," I whispered quietly under my breath. "I promise."

* * *

"Austin!" I yelled. "Put me down!"

My blond friend just laughed as he tossed me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. After my little promise to Beth back at my house, Austin suddenly decided that I had to stop being a hermit and get out of the house for the first time in three days, despite my protests.

That's when the topic of the town fair came up. For as long as I could remember Austin Moon was a serious dare devil. So it wasn't a surprise that he is in love with amusement parks and fairs. They are what he lives for.

Me? Not so much.

"Austin!" I tried to give another try. "I don't want to go to the-"

"Don't even try, Alls," Austin said. I could almost feel him smirking. "There's no way you're escaping out of this. You're going to have some fun."

I scowled as I helplessly hung upside down over Austin's shoulder. Oh once he puts me down, he's going to get it. The amusement park was on the boardwalk of the Miami Beach. I've been there so many times with Austin, I could probably navigate through it in my sleep.

Finally, Austin set me down. I glared at him, straightening up my clothes. He shrugged innocently. "So which ride do you want to hit on first?"

* * *

"Worst. Ride. Ever." I dragged my feet against the hard wood of the boardwalk, my eyes shut so tight, I was starting to see red. Austin laughed behind me and gently grabbed my shoulders, guiding me through the countless rides.

"It wasn't that bad," Austin said, still laughing slightly.

I shivered. "I think I'm going to puke."

Austin sighed. "Okay, fine," he said, raising his hands in surrender. He smiled sweetly at me. "What would you like to do, Miss Dawson?"

_Finally, _I thought. My eyes wandered around the amusement park until it landed on a booth. It was one of those games where you got three balls and had to knock down a pyramid of cans. Sitting on the prize table was a stuffed monkey.

"The monkey's mine," I told Austin, dragging him to the game.

He laughed and handed the attendant a dollar bill. The man smiled and handed me the three balls. "Okay Ally D," Austin teased. "Show us how it's done."

Stifling a laugh, I grabbed one of the balls and narrowed my eyes, focusing on the target. Austin faked a yawn. "You know, we can't take all day."

"Don't rush me!" I snapped, making him crack up.

I threw the ball and it hit harmlessly off the three cans. "Really?" I said, grabbing the second ball. This time, I didn't wait before launching it at the pyramid. One of the cans fell off the top.

Austin grinned. "Let me try," he said, taking the last ball.

"The game's rigged," I grumbled.

Ignoring me, Austin focused for a second before pitching the ball like a baseball. It knocked down the pyramid of cans perfectly. They crashed to the ground. The attendant smiled and handed me the monkey.

"Lucky shot," I protested, hugging my new prize tightly.

"Uh-hu," Austin snickered, "Right."

A young girl, who looked around the age of three, dragged her poor mom up to the game we were at. "Mommy!" she squealed. "I want the dolly!"

The mom looked at the game, and immediately winced. "I don't know, Gracie. I don't think I can hit all those cans perfectly." Gracie frowned in disappointment.

Austin stepped up. "Here," he smiled kindly. The mom flashed him a look of gratitude before handing him the money. The attendant handed Austin the balls.

No surprise, he knocked them down in one shot. Gracie squealed in excitement as he handed her the stuffed turtle. "What do you say?" the mom asked.

Gracie peered up at Austin. "Thank you," she said timidly.

My heart ached as Austin kneeled down. "No problem," he smiled.

As Gracie and her mom ran off, I felt myself tearing up. I tried to hide it, but Austin noticed. "Hey," he said, rubbing my shoulders. "We'll be okay."

I nodded tearfully, not trusting myself to speak.

Austin gave me an encouraging smile before leading me off. "I'll buy you cotton candy, okay?" he said, knowing it would brighten my mood.

I cracked a smile, feeling my heart start to pound. As Austin waited in line for the cotton candy, I felt that feeling again. The feel that could only be defined as one thing: love.

Then I realized that Austin was the only one that could help me forget about Beth and all my troubles. He's been with me every step, not giving up on me. Maybe…maybe I can make it. With him by my side.

Smiling softly to myself, I whispered the words that I knew Beth wanted me to say this whole time, "Beth, I let you go."

**How was it? Please R&R! I'll try and update ASAP! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all so much! You're reviews are amazing, especially when we were just on the seventh chapter! They made me smile so hard, I was sure that my face was going to burst :) I really, really, really hope that you enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

I shivered as the cold ocean waves hit my feet, giving an occasional scowl. Next to me, Austin laughed. "Not a big fan of the beach?" he asked. But he was teasing me. He knew better than anyone that beaches and I didn't go along well together.

"Ha-ha," I stuck my tongue out at him.

Austin snickered, looking out into the horizon, which was turning into a gorgeous color of pink, purple, red, and yellow as the suns started to set. Suddenly, he turned to me, his face lighting up.

"I have to show you something," he said, grabbing me by the arm. Before I could protest, he started dragging me across the beach, making me stumble occasionally as I tripped through the sand.

"Austin," I protested, "Slow down."

"We have to hurry," was Austin's only reply.

He continued to drag me to the unknown location. As we continued over the massive beach, I was starting to think that Austin was just playing a mean joke on me, to distract me from watching the sunset. I was about to open my mouth to yell at him when he suddenly halted.

I looked up at the building Austin decided to stop in. It was something I passed by so often, that I almost totally forgot it was there. In fact, almost everyone has. No one ever used it. "The lighthouse?" I asked skeptically.

Austin nodded enthusiastically. Before I could question his actions, he started towards the door at the base of the building. I helplessly followed him. "Austin," I told him. "It's locked. We can't get in even if we-"

The door flew up after Austin jiggled the doorknob a few times. He grinned at me in triumph. "What were you saying Alls?" he asked teasingly.

"Never mind," I said half grudgingly, half in shock that the lighthouse would just be open like that. Ever since I remember, it's been restricted to everyone, which was fine, since no one really cared about the old building.

Austin snapped me out of my thoughts. Grabbing me by the arm, he began to guide me up the many stairs. "A-Austin," my weak protest was, no surprise, ignored as I stumbled up the lighthouse.

By the time we were up on the last step, I was completely out of breath. Austin hardly let me catch it, dragging me to a narrow hallway that lead to another door. He pushed it open without any hesitation.

He let out a breath of relief. "We didn't miss it." He gestured for me to come.

I curiously stepped out, feeling the sea breeze hit my hair as I got out to the lighthouse's balcony. My breath caught in my throat. The sunset… it was gorgeous looking from the beach. Looking at it from above? It was breathtaking.

Colors flashed in my eyes, blending into something that not even the best artist in the world could paint. As it rose throughout the sky, the waves seemed to crash against them. There really were no words to describe it.

Austin looked at me closely. "Do you like-" as I turned to him, his words faltered. My face told him everything he needed to know. He smiled.

"T-This is amazing," I said breathlessly.

"Yeah," he agreed softly. "I used to come here all the time."

Dragging my eyes off of the sunset, I turned to him in surprise. "And you never told me?" I've known Austin for as long as I could remember, and never once has he mentioned this, or the lighthouse for that matter.

Austin shrugged. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "It's just…this place was my safe haven. Where I can escape from everything, you know? Up to now, you're the only one who knows about the lighthouse."

I immediately softened, the butterflies returning back to my stomach and the feeling returning for the second time today. "Thanks Austin," I told him, meeting him in the eye. "It means a lot that you're willing to share this place with me."

"We're best friends, right?" Austin grinned.

The sentence was supposed to be promising, and that's how he meant it, the way he said it so sincerely. But the tiniest part of my brain couldn't help but think: _best friends. That's all you're ever going to be. _

* * *

"Ally, take the jacket."

"I'm fine, really."

My teeth chattered against my will. Austin looked at me pointedly.

We were walking home from the beach after the sunset ended and it started to get dark out. That's when the temperature decided to drop at least ten degrees. I shivered slightly. But that was enough for Austin to notice.

He slipped off his sweatshirt. "Here," he said, handing it to me.

I looked up to him at surprise. "Oh, no. It's okay," I assured him as convincingly as I could. Goosebumps appeared on my arms. I rubbed them instinctively.

Austin looked at me pointed. "C'mon," he insisted, nearly shoving it in my arms. "You need it more than I do right now."

He didn't even wait for my response, slipping it over my head. I reluctantly slipped my arms in the over-sized sleeves. Warmth immediately rushed over my body. It felt so safe, so warm…just like Austin. It even smelled like him. I closed my eyes and took in the fresh breeze aroma.

When I opened them, I saw Austin staring at me. I almost caught him off balance. "Uh…" he stammered. "Y-You feeling warmer?"

"Yeah," I said in confusion. Was he just staring at me? D-does that mean-

Austin nodded, the faint blush on his cheeks slowly disappearing. We walked the rest of the way to my house in silence. It wasn't awkward or comfortable. It was just…there. It didn't bother me though.

The thought was still in my mind. Was Austin staring me because he liked me? Was it possible? When people stare at you, they stare at you, right? It happened before, when we were singing to Beth in her room, but I dismissed it then.

What was holding me back from trying to accept the possibility? Oh yeah. One name: Cassidy. Austin couldn't like me when I was his wingman for another girl.

I was brought out of my thinking when we stopped in front of my house.

Austin turned to me. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked anxiously.

"Yeah," I smiled. And this time I meant it. "Thank you so much Austin."

He shuffled his feet, the faint blush returning. "It was nothing."

"No," I insisted, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I don't know what I would do without you. Thank you Austin." My heart pounded as Austin smiled softly.

Every part of my body screamed. _Do it, do it, do it, do it, DO IT! _

Swallowing hard, I grabbed Austin by the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards me. Then I kissed him gently. On the lips. Immediately, I felt sparks. The butterflies were in a wild frenzy, the sensation growing throughout my whole body, to the ends of my finger tips.

I pulled back just as quickly. Austin was staring at me, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. I ducked my head. "Uh…bye!" I stammered, blushing hard as I ran into my house and slammed the door behind me.

Tears pricked my eyes. _Good job Ally, _I thought to myself. How could I just ruin my friendship like that? I still felt my lips tingling.

Against my will, I peered out the window. Austin was still in the exact position. He was staring at the empty air, where I once was. His eyes were as wide as saucers. I was almost sure that his jaw was going to fall off.

Finally, he spun on his heel and numbly walked away, the every few seconds, looking over his shoulder to peer back out at my house. It was almost as if he could see me. His eyes were dazed.

As he disappeared out of view, the tears came. I rubbed my temples as I sank down against the wall. Why did I have to do that? _How_ could I do that?

The tingling was still surging through my body. I still felt Austin's lips pressed against mine. Despite all that happened, a small smile appeared on my face.

_I kissed Austin Moon. _

**Woohoo! There's the first (key word: first) Auslly kiss for you all! Let the drama begin ;)**

**Please R&R! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! Thank you all so much for your reviews! I PMed (I think that's a word) some of you and you all AMAZING! You guys are so supportive and I owe it all to you guys that I'm writing. So thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

_ "You go girl!"_

_ I burst out laughing, almost choking on the iced tea that I was drinking. _

_ Linda glanced at me, looking pleased that I wasn't going through my break-down anymore and that I was back to my normal self. "I'm being serious!" she said. "It's about time, really!"_

_ "C-Can't breathe," I managed to get out. _

_ Linda waited patiently as I laughed until my stomach started hurting. "I-I'm sorry," I got out, tears streaming down my face. "It wasn't even that funny."_

_ "You're right," Linda said, almost startled that I was laughing so much. "It's not." She said it with the straightest face ever that I went into another round of giggles. Maybe I was laughing way more than needed. _

_ But it felt good. After all that's happened in the past eight months, it felt really good to actually laugh and feel free again. To feel like everything's okay. _

_ "Okay, okay," I said, trying to take deep breaths. "Where was I?"_

_ "You kissed Austin."_

_ Linda's statement made me think back to her 'you go girl', which made me let out another small laugh. "Yeah," I said, after being positive that I could speak without going through a laughing fit. "So…" _

* * *

Beth's funeral. Even though I did let my little sister go, it still hurt.

Fumbling, I grabbed my purse, stuffing my phone and wallet in there. On my way out the door, I stopped at the mirror that was hanging on the wall. Forcing myself to calm my breathing down, I looked at my reflection.

I looked like Death's wife. Everything from head to toe was black: my blouse, pants, heels, make-up, and jewelry. _"Why are you dressing in black?" _ I almost heard Beth say. _"It's sad. Dress in pink!" _

Pink. That was always her favorite color. A small smile appeared on my face. "Okay Beth," I whispered quietly, looking up at the ceiling. "Pink it is."

* * *

Saying that I didn't get strange looks would be a lie. Because I did. As I entered the cemetery, people turned to me, sorrow and sympathy filled in their eyes…which almost instantly got replaced with surprise.

I didn't blame them. With a building full of black, I looked completely out of place. I replaced my dark attire for light pink. I tried to choose an outfit that I knew Beth would love. A simple, frilly pink dress that went towards my knees. I washed off all the trace of make-up from my face and replaced my heels with flats. I let my hair go loose. _Like a princess, _Beth's voice rang in my head.

"Ally?" I heard my dad's confused voice come from behind me.

My eyes lit up. "Dad!" I squealed, rushing up to him. It turns out that the doctors didn't need to wheel in the hospital bed. Like said before, he had minor injuries with a few broken bones and bruises. He was in a wheelchair and his arm was wrapped in a sling. I almost forgot that he was hurting as I hugged him.

He yelped and I immediately pulled back. "Sorry! Sorry!"

"It's okay," he said, giving me a smile. After a few moments of letting him recover, he turned to me again. "Ally, it's really nice to see you again…but…uh…"

I laughed, knowing what he was trying to imply. "Beth told me to wear this," I told him simply. "She didn't like black." If I wasn't so serious about this, I would have laughed at my dad's expression.

"Oh," he said confusingly. I could tell he still didn't get it.

Probably only one person would: Austin.

Austin. My heart picked up in pace. Was he here? Of course he would be, even though…I kissed him yesterday without another word. He wouldn't let that stop him from coming to Beth's funeral….right?

* * *

"Now, to say a few words, please welcome Beth's sister, Ally Dawson."

I stood up from my seat, but I was distracted. Austin still showed no sign of coming. Maybe that was a good thing. Save the awkwardness. But Beth would have wanted him here. Right here where he belonged.

But people's eyes were on me so I had to force myself to focus. I turned to the front of the stage before realizing that I didn't have a speech. Then it slowly hit me. No one told me that I was going to have to say anything. I was completely unprepared. There was no way I could do this.

"Um…hi?" I said, stammering before immediately wincing. Smooth Ally. Real smooth. If people weren't already giving me strange looks from my attire, they definitely started as I stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say.

"So…many of you are wondering why I'm wearing pink at a funeral," I started. Talking about my outfit. Great starter. "I'd admit that I was coming here wearing black, like all of you when something stopped me."

The doors to the cemetery slowly opened. Austin Moon quietly slipped in. My voice momentarily caught in my throat as a small smile formed. He was wearing a white suit. _Like a prince, _I heard Beth say. Of course. No one noticed his presence but me. We locked eyes, and for a moment I forgot all about the kiss.

"I realized that Beth wouldn't have wanted it like this," I said softly. Austin let out a breathy smile. "She was always one who wanted to be a princess. She loved the thought of living in a big castle and wearing pretty pink dresses."

Words flew out of my mouth effortlessly. It was as if Austin was just drawling them out of me as he continued to hold my gaze. "But…Beth…she would have made Cinderella look pathetic. She had an aspect of life that couldn't be overlooked. She thought everyone was deserved to have a place in her fairy tale and that life itself was a storybook."

Austin hasn't moved from his spot against the wall, where he had entered. I finally broke our gaze and spread it to everyone who was listening to me intently.

"Even when one of the pages ripped, Beth still managed to stay so optimistic. She never thought of what could go wrong. Just on how the 'they all lived happily ever after' could go. She taught me a lot," I took a deep, trembling breath. "And…Beth, you are my princess."

I didn't have any other words to say. I felt the smallest tear fall out of the corner of my eye. Everyone was silent for three, torturous seconds. I watched them, nervously waiting for their reaction.

Then Austin clapped. It was as if letting out a bomb as a chain reaction occurred. My dad with his one arm banged on his wheelchair. Slowly, Trish, Dez, Miss Hill, everyone joined in.

Austin's small smile has grown to a full-out grin. _Good job Alls. _

* * *

With the funeral ceremony done, I realized how awkward it was going to be if I ever did bump into Austin. So I tried to avoid any route that could take me to him. I tried to be occupied with talking to everyone else: Trish, Laura, Kira, Dez, my dad, neighbors, teachers. Anyone but him.

But I could almost feel his eyes on me. He was waiting. I shivered as I primarily saw that everyone in the building was engaged with someone else. I felt my heart sink. Just as I expected, someone grabbed my arm.

No surprise on who it was. I got spun around to find myself right in front of Austin. He looked down at me. "We have to talk," he said quietly.

**How do you think the talk with Austin will go? Please R&R! I'll update ASAP! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys! Thank you so much for all the reviews! They really made my day. I was going to update yesterday, but I had volleyball practice so I wasn't able to. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Austin hardly waited for a response as he grabbed me by my arm and gently led me outside. I felt a blush grow on my cheeks as I felt shivers run down my body. _Great, _I thought, silently scolding myself. _Calm yourself Ally. _

Pushing the doors open, we stepped outside. Despite my nerves at the moment, I let out a small puff of content as I felt the cool breeze hit my face.

Austin barely gave me enough time to enjoy the weather. He gave me a sideways glance. "So…Princess Ally, huh?" I should have known. Austin always knew how to lighten the mood, no matter how awkward it was.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I wouldn't be talking _Prince _Austin," I said, looking at his white tux up and down, getting a sudden image of a prince in one of Beth's storybooks that I've read to her countless of times.

He laughed, but it seemed kind of forced. His attempts to make this solution un-awkward failed as the tensions visibly grew. I hopped from foot to foot, looking at the people exiting the building to the gravestones that were glooming in the shadows. Anywhere but Austin.

"Look," he sighed finally. "We can't really hide from this forever."

Yes, but it would sure be nice to. I refused to respond as I adjusted my eyes to the ground. I felt his gaze on me as he asked the question I dreaded. I always knew that it was going to come up. I just didn't want to think about it. "Why did you kiss me?" he asked hoarsely.

* * *

_"You guys are both blind," Linda snorted._

_ I rolled my eyes. "Linda!"_

_ "Sorry!" she raised her hands in surrender. "But really? 'Why did you kiss me'?" she mocked a horrible impression of Austin. "If you ever see that boy again, you should get it into his thick head that when people kiss you, they like you!" _

_ I laughed, trying to hide the sinking feeling in my stomach. If I ever see him again… I didn't even try to tell Linda that I may never see Austin again. I choked down a sob and gave her a forced smile. _

_ "Well, Austin was…" I struggled for a word. "…obtuse towards feelings." _

* * *

Why I kissed him? _Because I love you! _I don't think so. Words jumbled in my mouth. There was so much I wanted to say to him right there. To confess how I was crushing on him ever since I could remember. To say right out that I was so in love with him. That he completed me.

Seeing that I was struggling for my words, Austin shuffled his feet. He swallowed hard. "Look…" he began. "Can we just…forget about the kiss?"

It was amazing how just one sentence could crush my heart, tearing it into a million pieces. Forget about the kiss? Forget about the day that was possibly the best day of my life? Forget about the sparks I felt that day for my best friend? It was almost killing me inside. But when I looked up, he looked at me pleadingly, like he just wanted anything but to get everything back to normal.

Blinking back tears, I nodded. "Yeah," I choked out, hoping that I was sounding more confident than I sounded. "I-It was just…" I swallowed hard, getting the lie out of my throat, "…in the moment."

Was it just me, or did disappointment flash in Austin's eyes?

Or was that just wishful thinking?

Despite what I saw, Austin still looked relieved that we were talking again. He looked like he wanted to say something else when the doors flew open, almost hitting us both in the face. Cassidy ran out.

"Ally! Austin!" she said, her eyes full of sympathy, not seeming to notice the shocked expression on our faces. "I've been looking all over for you guys!"

Austin recovered first. "Hi Cassidy!" he smiled.

I felt my legs tremble. "Hi," I had to put every bit of effort in my body to force a smile. I ducked my head. "Excuse me," I muttered, slipping past my two friends. "I-I have to find my dad for…something."

Cue in the mental face palm for how weak my excuse was.

Austin looked at me, his expression unreadable. "Wait, Ally-"

"I'll see you in school!" I said quickly, giving a small wave before rushing into the building again. As soon as the doors closed me off from both Austin and Cassidy, I broke out into a run, pushing past the numerous of people.

My dad stopped me. "Ally?" he asked in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," I squeaked out, quickening past him. Ignoring his worry, I ran out of the room and into the endless amount of space that covered the whole building. Room after room. Door after door. I burst through each of them until I was sure that no one could find me.

As soon as I found that room, I slammed the door shut and pressed my back to the stupid piece of wood, sliding down towards the ground. Then, right there, I let out all the tears that I was holding.

The truth had to be faced. Even though I may love Austin Moon, the feeling was one-sided. Even when I thought that there may be a chance for…us, it was wishful thinking. Because Austin never thought of me like that.

* * *

_Ding dong…ding…ding…ding…ding…ding…ding…ding…ding…DING DONG!_

I groaned as I got out of my bed, my mind thinking of the endless list of people who that could be. Only one person would ring the door bell like that…at six o'clock in the morning. Any guess who it was? Yep, Austin.

Stumbling down the stairs, I threw the front door open, wincing at the bright morning light. "What do you want?" I grumbled, my eyes slowly closing.

Austin laughed, ruffling my hair, only making me scowl more. He knew better than anyone that I wasn't exactly a 'morning' person. "Good morning to Alls."

"What are you doing here?" I groaned as Austin invited himself in.

The laughter drained out of his eyes. "I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked innocently, walking with him into the kitchen.

Austin looked at me in exasperation. "You know what I mean," he said simply. "Why did you run away from me like that at Beth's funeral yesterday?"

"I-I-" I stammered, realizing that I didn't have an explanation to why I reacted the way I did yesterday. Well…I did have a reason, but there was no way I was telling him the real motive. I would rather die.

A part of me was hoping that Austin would just change the subject, but he didn't budge as he stared at me intently, waiting for my response.

"I…wanted you to have more time with Cassidy?"

Austin definitely didn't look convinced. I could tell by the way he gave me a pointed look, like he was saying, _do you really think I'll believe that? _I felt myself start to grow increasingly nervous.

"I'm serious!" I insisted. I desperately tried to change the subject. "How is it going with her anyway?" _Great, _I thought to myself, _great move Ally. Now you brought Cassidy up and your job as a wingman that you'll probably fail. Just-_

Austin shifted. I could almost see my uneasiness reflect off of him. "Good?" he said, but it turned out more as if he was questioning it.

No matter how much I hated talking about Austin's crush on Cassidy, it still brought the attention off of me, which I was unbelievably grateful for. "Did-" I swallowed hard. "Did you ask her out yet?"

For a few seconds, Austin's expression was deer-in-a-headlights before he blinked. "Um…" he stammered. "No, not yet." A small smile appeared on his face. "You're supposed to be my wingman, right?"

I swallowed. "Yeah," I forced a smile. Seemed to be doing that a lot. "And as you're wingman, I say to just go for it. She has to say yes."

Austin raised a brow, a goofy grin forming. I could feel the tension slowly breaking around us. "And if she says no?" he asked curiously.

"Then, 'Houston, we have a problem'," I laughed, nudging him. "Any girl would be a fool to reject you Austin." I felt my heart start to pound. I would definitely not be one of those fools. I would be the first to say_ yes_.

* * *

_"You are a very interesting person Ally Dawson," Linda shook her head. _

_ "I hope that's a compliment," I joked. _

_ Linda smiled. "It's not. But it's not an insult either. You are…uh, were…in love with Austin. And yet, you're helping him get with another girl. Even you have to admit that's a little…interesting." _

_ I laughed. "I confused myself too," I admitted. "I actually would lie in bed thinking about why the heck I agreed and actually help Austin get Cassidy to be his…girlfriend. And I realized that it's because I loved him."_

_ After having a few hours to get to know Linda, I've realized that she's a genuinely sweet, understanding person. But I could tell I stumped her with what I said. "I'm sorry?" Linda asked in confusion. _

_ I smiled softly. "I wanted anything than for Austin to be happy," I told her. "And I thought that Cassidy did make him happy. And if helping him get her made him feel like that, than I was willing to."_

_ Linda seemed to think about what I said. "You THOUGHT that Cassidy made him happy?" she repeated. _

_ "I may have made a mistake," I whispered hoarsely. _

* * *

"Hey! Ally!"

I turned around, stopping mid-way of getting my books from my locker to see Elliot running up to me. I blinked. I almost totally forgot about him asking me out on a 'date' before. "Hi!" I waved, hopefully more confidently than I felt.

Elliot came to a stop right next to me, smiling. "Hey, I heard what happened and I really am sorry about your sister," he said sincerely.

"It was her time to go," I told him honestly. "I'll see her again someday.

Elliot grinned. "So I never did get an answer on our movie date."

My heard started pounding, and for a stupid reason, I started to blush. "Oh yeah," I stammered, my mind turning blank. The last time he asked me, I was going to say yes, right? Until Austin kept on interrupting. What would have me change my mind this time?

_What happened over the past few days. _I swallowed hard. That's what was stopping me. Over the events of…everything, it only just made me fall for Austin even harder, if that was physically possible.

I thought back to what happened yesterday at the funeral. After I left Austin and Cassidy, I cried harder than Niagara Falls. Why would I bring myself down like that? I couldn't stay single forever, going through his heart break. Why couldn't I just deal with the fact that Austin like Cassidy? _Move on. _That was my dad's favorite motto. Could I really drop Austin like that?

Elliot was waiting for me expectantly. I looked up towards him. "Okay," I nodded, forcing a smile. Every part of my body was screaming _no_ except for one: my heart. "It sounds good."

He smiled, his face lighting up. "So tomorrow at eight?" he asked.

I nodded. "See you then," I said as enthusiastically as I could.

As I watched Elliot leave, my mind replayed what I just did. It was for the best, right? And it was just one date. If I hated it, there would never be a second one. But I should have known that someone was listening in on our conversation.

**DUN DUN DUN. I think you all know who it is :D **

**How was this chapter! Please R&R! I'll update ASAP! Tomorrow, if I could.**


	11. Chapter 11

**OMG! OMG! OMG! THANK YOU SOOOOOOOO MUCH! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! 206 REVIEWS ON THE TENTH CHAPTER?! You have no idea how much that means to me! THANK YOU x1000000000000000000000000000000000000000! **

**Cheeko: how many more chapters will there be?**

_Me: I actually have been thinking about that multiple times, and I honestly have no idea. I'm hoping to get as many chapters in as I can. But this story isn't going to be ending anytime soon :D And I'm thinking about the possibility for a sequel after this one? Maybe. ;)_

**Guest: please, please, please make Elliot an important character**

_Me: Don't worry. Elliot is definitely going to make plenty of appearances :D_

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING! **

* * *

We all have that friend who is the boys expert, otherwise known as Trish de la Rosa. I'll admit I'm not exactly the 'guy magnet'. And that's when my favorite Latina comes in. She is always there when I need her.

I watched helplessly as Trish nearly ripped my closet in half, digging through my clothes. She clicked her tongue as she came across one of my t-shirts. "Chica," she shook her head disapprovingly. "Tu ropa es fea!"

"Hey," I said defensively. I've known Trish long enough to know what 'your clothes are hideous' in Spanish was. I snatched the t-shirt out of her hands and clutched it protectively to my chest. "My dad gave me this."

Trish snorted. "That makes sense," she mumbled, more to herself than me.

"Hey!"

Ignoring the death glares I was sending her, Trish grabbed the shirt from me and tossed it into the 'no-way is Ally wearing this junk' pile that was steadily growing on my one side of my bed. She went back to digging into my clothes.

"There has to be something for you to wear to your date with Elliot tonight," she told me, shaking her head. "Don't you have anything that…I don't know, doesn't look like it came from the dumpster?"

My jaw dropped. "Hey!" I said once again.

"I mean, seriously!" Trish ranted on. "Where's the animal print? No leopard, zebra, tiger? Remind me to take you shopping some day."

Of course. I should have known. Trish was a major animal-print fan. Almost every piece of attire she wore had that design on them. And if you don't believe me, just look into her room. It would make you feel like you were inside a zebra.

"Trish," I told her, "I'm not going to wear leopard print."

She frowned. "Fine," she groaned. "But don't blame me if Elliot thinks you-"

I rolled my eyes and pushed her into my closet, closing the door behind her. I heard Trish let out a huff. I almost expected her to burst out the closet and start cursing at me in Spanish. Instead, she let out a loud squeal.

Trish threw the door to my closet open. "Found it!" she nearly yelled, holding up a dress that I've never even bothered to wear before. My eyes immediately recognized it as the dress that Kira bought for me once.

Shaking my head, I protested. "No way," I said, backing away slightly. Like I said before, Kira got that dress for me. Meaning that it was tight, uncomfortable, slightly revealing, and…just not me at all.

"But why not?" Trish pouted. "It would look perfect on you!"

I gave a nervous laugh. "You have to be kidding me," I said to her.

Trish scowled. "Ally Dawson, you _are _wearing this dress."

"Please Trish," I begged. "I really, really, really don't want to wear…that. Especially when this is my first date in a long time. It makes me feel too uncomfortable. And plus, it's just a movie date. Not prom."

My words seemed to make a light bulb go off in Trish's head. "Prom!" she squealed. "Ally, our senior prom is this year. You have to wear this!"

"Trish!" I groaned.

She frowned. "You're no fun," she said.

I glanced at the clock on my nightstand. "Elliot's going to be here soon," I told her. "If you're not going to help then I think I'm just going to get ready myself."

Trish sighed. "Fine, fine," she said, raising her hands in surrender. Seeing my pointed look, she crossed her hands over her heart. "I _promise _I'll get your ready in time for your date. Elliot is going to have quite a surprise."

* * *

It seemed like it took hours, but finally, Trish and I came to a compromise on my outfit. And I'll admit it… I looked pretty good. Trish smiled at me in triumph as she looked me over. "Elliot is going to be _drooling," _she squealed.

Without knowing, I blushed, looking down at my outfit. Trish was _really _good at her job. She (with my approval) chose a sparkling red top that flowed down until my hip. Along with that, she put me black tights and pink wedges. **(A/N: like in her duet with Austin in Chapters and Choices) **She designed my hair into a messy bun and applied light makeup.

"Thanks Trish," I told her gratefully.

Before Trish could respond, the doorbell rang. My heart immediately sped up. When I said that I haven't had a date in a while, it wasn't a lie. The last person I've ever gone out with was actually Dallas, Austin's close friend. We've dated for a few weeks until for some unknown reason, he thought it wasn't working out.

"Have fun!" she said, waving a little too enthusiastically.

I smiled. "We'll have a sleepover when I get back," I promised her.

Trish nodded as I headed out the door of my bedroom. "I'll be waiting here."

I took a deep breath as I headed down the stairs carefully. _Why are you so panicked? _I scolded myself as I felt my stomach twist. _You're going to have a fun time with Elliot tonight. There's nothing to be nervous about. _

**It's not nervousness though.**

_Whaaaat? Of course it is. What else would it be?_

**Oh, I don't know…GUILT?**

_Why would I be guilty?_

**Because you know you belong with Austin. **

_Shut up! _

I pulled a smile on as I opened the door to reveal Elliot. I saw him catch his breath as soon as he saw me, and I felt a blush grow on my face. "Wow," he whispered, more to himself than me. "You look great, Alls."

For some reason, I flinched. Alls. That was Austin's nickname for me since we were young. Hearing someone else use it felt like an unknown language. It was stupid, but it didn't feel right to have it coming out of someone else's mouth.

"Thank you," I said, brushing the thought off my mind. I stepped out onto the porch, carefully closing the door behind me. "So are you ready to go?"

Elliot grinned as we started walking. The Miami movie theater wasn't far from my house, which I appreciated. Maybe ten minutes away. And since it was a gorgeous night out, it didn't hurt to walk, right?

As we started towards the movie theater, I quickly found that Elliot was genuinely a sweet guy. In fact, I didn't see how his reputation of being a 'player' came from. I hated to admit it, but I started to warm up to him. Maybe this date wasn't going to go as badly as I thought it would.

* * *

"Ally?"

I turned around from waiting for Elliot to buy the drinks and snacks for the movie to (surprise, surprise) see Austin running up towards me, a large Coke and popcorn in each hand. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't shocked.

"A-Austin?" I stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"Seeing a movie," Austin said obviously.

I rolled my eyes. "No," I said sarcastically, "You don't say."

Austin laughed. "So," he said, his voice suddenly turning cautious. He gave me a side-ways glanced. "Are you here with anyone?"

My throat went dry. I couldn't really just say _I'm on a date with Elliot! _I thought back on how he reacted when Elliot asked me out the other week. "Uh…" I stammered, trying to find an excuse to get out of this conversation.

Perfect timing. Elliot came up to me with two sodas, popcorn, and a bag of Skittles in his possession. "Okay, Ally," he said, not noticing Austin's presence. "Are you ready to go into the-"

Austin cleared his throat. Elliot turned to him in surprise. "Austin?"

"That's me," Austin said, his voice having a dangerous edge to it. He was staring daggers into him. "What are you doing here?"

Elliot narrowed his eyes. "I'm here with Ally."

I almost waited for Austin to start yelling at me, saying that I shouldn't be on a date with Elliot. But instead, he turned to me and smiled slyly at me. "Well," he started. I shifted, having a bad feeling about what he was going to say. He watched me carefully. "It's a good thing we're seeing the same movie then."

* * *

Thinking back on it, Austin's move was sneaky. In a way, I almost expected it. But it seemed like I was the only one who understood what Austin was saying and anger flashed through my eyes. Elliot, however, just looked annoyed.

"Good for you," he said through grit teeth. "Well, Ally, I guess we can just-"

"Hey," Austin cut in, "if you don't mind, can I join you?"

Elliot frowned. "Actually, Ally and I are on a-"

"Great!" Austin clasped him on the shoulder. He threw his arm around me and led me through the theater. "We should hurry. We're going to miss the movie."

I struggled out of his grip. "Austin," I hissed. "What are you doing?"

Austin promptly disregarded my glares as he found the right movie. Without even waiting to see if Elliot was catching up, he pulled me into the dark theater.

* * *

"C'mon, Ally, wait a second!"

I huffed as walked quickly down the block, ignoring Austin's calls. There was NOTHING I had to say to him. He completely ruined my date with Elliot.

For the whole night, I hardly got to even talk to Elliot. Why? Because Austin not-so-distinctly made it so that he sat right in between us at the movie theater. When Elliot as much sent me a glance, Austin spilled his soda on his shirt 'accidentally'. By the time the movie ended, I was ready to _kill_ him.

Elliot had left with a quick bye-bye, hardly giving us a second glance. And it was all Austin's fault. I couldn't believe him.

Here I was, actually willing to help him win Cassidy's heart. I was his wingman for crying out loud! He literally reminded me every day. And now when I finally got asked out, was he supportive? Nope. Helpful? Definitely not. Jealous? Maybe. A pain in the back? Ding ding ding! We have a winner!

Austin caught up to me, grabbing my arm. I spun towards him, my eyes flashing in anger. "What Austin?" I scowled. "What do you want?"

He looked almost surprised at my hostility. "Look, Ally," he began.

"You probably just ruined every chance I had with Elliot!" I burst out.

"He's going to hurt you! Trust me in this Alls!"

That didn't help the anger that was bubbling in my stomach. "Elliot actually happens to be a really nice guy!" I insisted. "Trust _me _in this Austin!"

Austin let out a small yell of frustration. "Why can't you just listen to me?"

"What was that back there?" I demanded.

"I had to do that," Austin protested. "I know what Elliot does to girls, Alls. He pulls them in and ends up breaking their hearts! Ask anyone in school!"

I huffed and glared at him. "Why can't you just face the fact that someone might actually _like _me for once? Is that so hard?" I nearly yelled at him.

Austin mumbled something under his breath that I didn't catch. "Ally-"

"You know what?" I cut in. Right now, all I wanted was to be alone. "I don't even want to know Austin." Pushing past him, I walked as fast as possible towards my house. Against my will, a small tear slipped out of the corner of my eye.

_Stop it, _I commanded myself. _You're not going to cry over this. _

But even then, the tears kept on coming down until it slowly became a waterfall down my face. Because I knew that it was much more than just Austin ruining my date. How was it that just a few days ago, I felt so close to him, but now it feels like I've never been farther away from Austin Moon?

**How was it? Things are getting a little tense for Auslly ;) I'll try and update ASAP!**

**Please R&R! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi! Thank you all for the reviews! They were all AMAZING! You guys ROCK!**

**HannahbananaJane: thank you! And don't worry, you weren't mean :) I even thought myself that Ally got over Beth too quickly because I have lost people close to me as well. But I couldn't really have Ally depressed for the whole story. Thank you though for sharing your opinion and thoughts. It meant a lot :D**

**Singer103: I know right! Nothing's better than a jealous Austin ;)**

**Ally Moon: Ally's still on the plane with Linda. She's making an appearance in this chapter :)**

**THANKS TO ALL THAT REVIEWED! I REALLY ENJOYED READING THEM :D**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

_ I nodded in thanks to the stewardess who handed me a small bag of pretzels. I popped it open, my stomach growling. "Want one?" I asked, offering the bag to Linda, who shook her head politely. _

_ Shrugging, I threw one in my mouth, chewing it carefully. _

_ Linda shifted in her seat, watching me eat my snack. I felt slightly uncomfortable with her staring at me like that and looked at her with the corner of my eye. "Are you okay?" I asked her._

_ "So what happened the next day?" she asked impatiently. I laughed. I felt like I was telling stories to Beth again, like I would…did ever night. _

_ "It was just a regular day at school," I responded, popping another pretzel in my mouth, savoring the salty flavor. "I avoided Austin the whole day."_

_ "Avoided? You mean running away," Linda corrected me, teasing in her eyes. _

_ I frowned, remembering the conversation we had about me 'running away from my problems'. "Whatever," I mumbled, making her laugh._

* * *

"You're late Miss Dawson!"

I stumbled into my first period class, AP English. I hope I didn't look too windblown. "Sorry," I gasped for breath. The English teacher (*cough* devil *cough*), Miss Dobbs ignored my apology and looked at me expectantly.

"You're late," she repeated stiffly. No surprise there. Miss Dobbs didn't have _any _facial expressions whatsoever except for completely-monotone.

The whole class was looking at me. Was I really that tardy? "I overslept," I said. Not entirely a lie. Trish slept over and we both decided to wake up early in the morning to visit my dad the hospital. We lost track of time.

Miss Dobbs, as usual, just stared blankly at me, as frozen as a statue. Finally, she jerked her head towards my seat. "Sit," she ordered. "And I expect you to be right on time next time Miss Dawson."

I didn't have to be told twice. I tried not to run towards my seat, wishing only that everyone's eyes wouldn't just be focused on me. Dropping my books on my desk, I slid into the chair, wanting to hide behind my books.

Thankfully, Miss Dobbs went back to her lesson, making everyone's attention turn to the whiteboard. I felt my shoulders slump in relief. I opened my notebook when something white fell on my desk. A note.

I almost dropped my pencil in surprise. Making sure Miss Dobbs wasn't looking, I took the note cautiously, as if it was going to explode in my face. Keeping it under my desk, I opened the paper.

_Hey. You okay? –E_

E? That could only be one person. I turned to Elliot's desk, which was a few desks behind me and catching my gaze, he gave me a thumbs up. I didn't know whether to be surprised or relieved that he was talking to me.

Carefully ripping off a piece of paper from my notebook, I quick scribbled:

_Yeah. Just over slept. I'm sorry about-_

I bit on my lip, my pencil stopping mid-way of writing, about to erase what I just wrote. Should I mention the date last night? He seemed pretty upset about it. Against my will, my pencil finished the note with:

_-the date last night. I don't know what was with Austin. _

Taking a deep breath, I passed it back to Laura, gesturing her to give it to Elliot. She looked up from her work in surprise before winking at me knowingly, taking the note from my hands. I blushed despite my will.

It didn't take too long before another note fell on my desk.

_Don't worry. I get it. But I hope we can stay friends :D_

What? Confusion swept over me. I almost forgot we were in class as I turned in my seat towards Elliot. He, noticing my expression, looked like he was trying not to laugh as he shook his head to himself.

That didn't help. I scowled and turned back to face forward only to see Miss Dobbs right in front of my face. "Miss Marano," she said, snatching the note from my hands. "Principal office. Now."

Oh, this day just keeps on getting better and better.

* * *

As I was walking towards lunch, I kept on thinking back to the note (that was now in the garbage thanks to Miss Dobbs) that Elliot sent me. _I get it. But I hope we can stay friends. _He acted like those movies Kira loved to watch where the guy was breaking up with the girl because it 'wasn't working out'.

I was still thinking about it when something suddenly grabbed me by the arm. I swiveled around to find myself being dragged down the hallway. I didn't even have to look to know who it was. "Austin," I hissed. "Let me go!"

Austin ignored me as he led me to the room that held so many memories: the band room. Closing the door behind us, he finally let me go. I glared daggers at him and opened my mouth to speak when he interrupted.

"Please just listen to me Alls," he begged.

"I have to go to lunch," I protested, going towards the door.

As soon as I opened the door, I hardly had any time to go out when Austin's hand flew out, making it slam closed once again. "Just let me go!" I said, spinning towards him, my eyes glaring.

"Not until you listen to me," Austin insisted.

He was stubborn. I knew that, and he knew that I knew. Scowling, I sat down on one of the chairs that was propped against the wall. Crossing my arms, I waited for him to speak, annoyance surging through my body.

Austin paused to make sure I was quiet before saying, "I'm sorry, okay Alls? I shouldn't have sabotaged your date like that. You've been willing to help me with…Cassidy and that wasn't exactly the best way to show my appreciation."

I huffed. "You think?" I couldn't help but say under my breath.

Austin looked at me indignantly. "Hey!" he said. "I'm trying to apologize here!"

"You should be sorry!" I glared, more out of exasperation than anger now.

I could feel myself giving in to him, which just made me want to yell in frustration. Why was it so freaking hard to stay mad at Austin? Was that too much to ask? Just for a few days, I wanted to be angry at him and actually succeed. Just _once. _Why did he have to make that _so _hard?

Austin let out a breath as he sat down next to me. "Please Alls?" he begged, pulling off the puppy dog eyes. I glowered at the floor until he poked me in the side jokingly, "Hello? Anyone in there?"

"Stop that!" I snapped my head up.

Austin looked startled for a second. "Huh?" he asked in confusion.

"That! I just want to be mad at you for once!" I huffed. "Jeez Austin, why do you have to be so…" I scowled in frustration as I stammered, "So…so…you?!"

He almost looked taken back for a few seconds. "I'm…sorry?" he asked, as if he was unsure what to say at the moment, cocking his head slightly. When I didn't reply, he pouted, "Pwetty pwease?"

This was impossible. I couldn't stay mad at Austin Monica Moon for more than a few hours. It was starting to become a known fact now as I felt myself caving in.

"I really am sorry," Austin continued. "I-I shouldn't have done that. I knew how much that date meant to you and I'm sorry if I acted like a…" he struggled.

I cracked a smile. "Jerk?" I suggested eagerly.

"No…"

My smile grew as I felt my anger slowly start to wash away. "Idiot?" I continued on. "Bozo? Stupid? Thick-headed? Crazy? Selfish? Overprotective? Stubborn? A-"

Austin sent me a pointed glare. "I was going to say… insensitive?"

I allowed a small laugh to escape out of my mouth before I realized my mistake. I was about to snap something at him when Austin smiled at me in triumph. "Fine," I said, crossing my arms. "I forgive you. Happy?"

"Yes!" Austin threw a fist in the air.

I rolled my eyes. "Look," Austin said, "I'll get you another date with Elliot…and I promise that I-I won't…" he seemed to have trouble getting the words out. "…interfere with anything." He coughed hard.

My best friend. My stupid, idiotic best friend. And I felt a strong feeling of affection swell up in my chest as I let out another laugh. "It's okay," I said softly. "Elliot talked to me today. And we're just going to stay friends." At least I think that's what it meant. I mean, what else could 'I hope we can say friends' mean?

Austin frowned. "I'm so, so, so, so sorry, Alls. This is all my-"

"It's fine," I dismissed it. "I…it wasn't going to work out anyway."

* * *

_"What happened to the whole 'I'm going to move on from Austin'?" Linda asked as I finished off my pretzel bag, throwing the remainder of it in my pocket. _

_ I frowned as I looked back up at Linda. "You know…" I stammered before trailing off. She obviously wasn't convinced by the expression she was giving me. I made another attempt. "Moving on is overrated." _

_ Yup, this is me: Ally Dawson, the worst liar in the history of liars. _

_ "Ally." Linda's tone left no room for me to argue. _

_ I slumped in my seat. "I couldn't move on," I admitted. _

_ Linda looked at me in surprise. "Honey, he liked another girl. A lot."_

_ "I know," I said helplessly. "But I tried thinking of anyone else I could have had a chance with. Anyone but Austin. And I couldn't. Even if I tried to imagine it, he would just always be replacing all the other guys."_

_ "Ally-"_

_ I found my voice cracking. "I don't care if I was asked out by Justin Bieber or Harry Styles," I said quietly. "Austin was the only one I wanted. He was the only one I allowed myself to want. It was either him or no one." _

**How was it? I'll try to update ASAP but I have a lot of homework this week, which is strange considering school is starting to end :/ Anyway, please R&R! Thank you all again! :D **


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi! Sorry it took a few days to update. I had a lot of school work to get done over the weekend...Anyway, thanks again to all the reviews! They really just made my day. Every time I get an email saying that someone reviewed, I would squeal for every. single. one ;) And I just have one quick announcement: I've started a short Raura story. It's going to be a three-shot. Please check it out! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

In school, everyone gives you a label. It was a well-known fact. Especially in Marino High. You're either identified as something or nothing at all.

Austin was the jock. Trish was the boss. Dez was the goof. Kira was the flirt. And me? I can easily be labeled as a nerd. While many people dread having to do homework after you just got back from seven hours of school, I actually enjoyed it. Hey, learning is a great tool in life that will stay with you forever-

* * *

_"Darling, just get on with it."_

_ I looked at Linda in annoyance. "I'm just expressing my love of learning."_

_ "Just get to the point."_

_ I let out a small laugh. Linda wasn't like any person I met. I don't know where the stereotype for fragile grandmas came from. Linda actually made me feel like I was talking to Trish, Laura, or even Kira for that matter. She didn't mind if I broke the rule of 'respecting your elders'. She let me to treat her just like any teenager and to be free to express myself. And I really appreciated that._

_ Linda looked at me expectantly, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Fine," I said, trying to clear my mind. "So my point is…"_

* * *

That's why it was hardly likely that I would want to fall asleep in class. But in choir, that's all I wanted to do. That was another shocker: it was CHIOR. I've never found a time when I actually felt tired when it comes to music.

I tried to stay awake, I really did, but I felt my eyelids closing as sleep took over me. Maybe if we were actually doing something, I would be wide awake, except for the fact that for the past fifteen minutes, Miss Hill was explaining about the high school talent show that was next week.

Austin could see that I was dozing off and he nudged me hard. He looked in front to make sure Miss Hill wasn't looking before turning back to me. "You okay?" he asked me quietly.

"Yeah," I yawned. "I visited my dad again last night." I tried to visit my dad every chance I got. Because I had come to the conclusion that with Mom and Beth gone, he was the only family I actually had left.

Austin nodded understandingly before directing his attention towards Miss Hill. "So, is there anyone that wants to or is interested in auditioning?"

I already had an idea on who was going to volunteer. As I suspected, Austin's hand bolted up right. So did a few others: Cassidy, Laura, Dallas, Kira… "Ally, you should audition," Austin told me, making me almost fall out of my seat.

"W-What?" I stammered. "I-I can't."

Austin sent me a pointed look. "You faced your fear," he said softly, most likely seeing the surprise in my eyes. "C'mon, please Ally. I'll audition with you. We'll perform. Together. Please?"

I hesitated. I did perform in front of a crowd, but that was just a class. Marino High School makes a big deal over stuff like talent shows. Knowing that, everyone was probably going to come and see it. Hundreds of people…

Despite my fears, only one thing stuck in my head: together.

"Okay," I said at last, slowly raising my hand.

Austin grinned. Miss Hill's gaze stopped at me and gave me a slight nod. "Very good," she said. "Auditions are on Friday and Monday." She looked like she was going to say something else when the bell rang.

Students filed out of the room. I closed my eyes. Auditions start on Friday? That's in two days. "I can't believe I just…" I trailed off, sending Austin a glare, who shrugged innocently.

"You can do this, Alls," he assured me. "You did fine when we preformed on Monday. People loved you. And I'll know they'll love you again."

Seeing my hesitation, Austin gave me a reassuring smile, making my heart twist and butterflies flutter into a wild frenzy. "Fine," I agreed reluctantly, silently cursing my best friend for being so…him. "But if I go into a panic attack and throw up on stage, I swear, I'm going to-"

"I get it," Austin laughed. "I take all the blame, okay?"

I nodded, nervousness still growing in my stomach. Austin thankfully decided to change the subject. "Can you come over after school?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said almost instantly. "But why?"

Austin grinned slyly. "I have a surprise for you."

Those words were never good. Seeing my face, Austin laughed and nudged me. "I promise you'll love it," he promised. I highly doubted that. As if reading my mind, he crossed his heart, "Really! I promise. Trust me."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Okay," I said at last.

Austin grinned. "Great," he said, "See you then?"

I nodded. "Can you actually just give me a ride to your house? My car-"

"Broke down," he finished for me. When I nodded, he shook his head. "We need to get you a new car now? It was bad enough with the phone."

"I love my phone," I insisted.

"Right," Austin said, smirking.

I muttered a 'shut up', making him laugh even harder. Shaking my head, I pushed past him and headed towards my next class. But unlike last time, I felt like a just got hit with a refreshing breeze, suddenly wide awake.

That's what Austin Moon could do to you, I guess.

* * *

"Ally!"

I looked up from the cafeteria's lunch menu to see Cassidy running over to me. I waved before going back to deciding whether or not the chicken was real chicken. "Hi," Cassidy said breathlessly, stopping next to me.

"Hi," I grinned. I held up the plate of chicken. "Does this look like horse meat to you?" The lunch lady grunted and I flashed her an apologetic glance.

Cassidy laughed and looked like she was about to answer when she realized that we were keeping up the line. "So," she said, grabbing a lunch tray. "I've been waiting all day to talk to you."

I put the plate of chicken back down. It was definitely horse meat. "Really?" I asked, moving down the line. I didn't even try to disguise my surprise. Even though Cassidy was nice, I never really talked to her since our girl's night when she thought Austin and I were…together.

"Yeah," Cassidy nodded, grabbing a can of Snapple and putting it on her tray.

The mac and cheese didn't look like it was overly disgusting so I took a plate and made my way over to the cashier, where a line was steadily forming. I waited for Cassidy to follow. "So," I said, setting my tray down. The line was moving slower than Kira in gym. We were going to be here a while. "Here I am."

Cassidy smiled, turning towards me. "Okay," she said, taking a deep breath before sneaking an uncertain glance at me. "But first, are you positive that there's nothing going on between you and Austin. Like 100% sure?"

I grit my teeth. You probably noticed, but I'm not the best liar. "Yeah," I squeaked out, before wincing at how pathetic that sounded. I cleared my throat. "Austin and I have…no feelings for each other."

_But you wish he did, _a small voice said in my head.

_Shut up! _I hissed back.

Cassidy nodded slowly, thankfully buying my horrible lying skills. "Okay," she said, taking another deep breath. "But you guys are best friends, right?"

I gave her a quizzical look. Where the heck was this all leading to? Cassidy must have read my mind because she closed her eyes. "Sorry," she apologized sheepishly. "It's just…I may need your help."

This conversation sounded awfully familiar. And by awful, I mean _awful._

* * *

_ I smiled. "Trish wants to have a girl's night," I told him. "And this time, she wants to invite Kira, Laura, and…Cassidy." I said the last name so quietly, I was surprised Austin even heard me. _

_ "About Cassidy…" Austin rubbed his neck nervously. _

_ I leaned forward. Half of be expected him to say that he wasn't interested in her anymore. The other half of me expected him to say that he wanted to ask her out. But I definitely didn't expect him to say what he did. _

_ "I was wondering…can you be my wingman?"_

_ I almost fell off the bed again. "What?" I asked in shock. _

_ Austin looked down at his feet. "I mean, I really, really, really like Cassidy," he told me honestly. I think I was going to die right there because it was physically impossible to live without a heart. _

_ "That's great," I squeaked out. I swallowed every resentment I had for Cassidy and the whole thought of fairness and offered a hopefully sincere smile. "I'm happy that you finally found your girl." I nudged him playfully. _

_ Austin grinned at me. "Yeah…" he trailed off, his smile slowly dissolving. "Here's the problem…I need your help." _

_ I furrowed my eye brows. "What do you mean?" I asked. _

_ "You said yourself that Cassidy was going to be at your, what you call it, 'girl's night'. Do you think you can…maybe…" he waited for me to catch on. _

_ He wanted me to be his wingman. _

* * *

I should have expected it. I really should have. But I still couldn't help but seem surprised when Cassidy blurted out, "I like Austin."

* * *

Done. It was amazing how three words can make me want to die on the spot. I was done. This wasn't a one-sided crush anymore. It was mutual. Both Austin and Cassidy both liked each other, completely taking away my chances.

I forced myself to stay calm. "Oh," I said, blinking the tears back. Cassidy looked at me expectantly and I put on a strained smile. "T-That's…g-great!"

Cassidy blushed slightly. "Yeah…" she muttered. "So I was thinking…"

_No way, _I thought. How could this be happening twice? "You want me to help you out?" I guessed, still struggling to find my voice. "Be your wingman?"

She looked surprised. "How did you know?"

I let out a nervous laugh. "Lucky guess," I said, my voice raising an octave.

Cassidy looked down at her feet. "So…"

What I did next must have made me crazy, pathetic, and desperate. I did one of the worst mistakes I've ever made. Cassidy looked at me pleadingly. I felt my heart start to pound as I nodded. _Don't do it, _my body screamed. "I'll help you."

**And that's when things get crazy :) I'm working on the next chapter right now and I'm planning a LOT of surprises...plus a new character. He's not an OC. Can anyone guess who it's going to be? **

**Please make me the happiest person alive and review! ;) I'll try and update ASAP!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! I'm back (obviously) with the next chapter :D Thank you all for the reviews! I really enjoyed reading all of them. We're only 21 away from 300 reviews :) Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Only the plot and my OCs.**

_ "Ally."_

_ I raised my hands in my defense. Linda's tone was almost cautious, maybe even exasperated. "What?" I whined. "Linda, please don't ask. I couldn't say 'no'."_

_ "You're too nice."_

_ "Cassidy would have suspected something if I said that I wouldn't help her."_

_ Linda shook her head disapprovingly. "You just brought more trouble to yourself," she told me, if it wasn't obvious already. _

_ I pursed my lips. "Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"_

_ "Knock yourself out."_

_ I gave a small smile. "Yeah so…"_

* * *

School seemed to drag on. I went through biology, ancient history, and French in a complete blur. I tried to concentrate on my school work but only one thought would keep on coming back to me: Cassidy, Austin, Cassidy, Austin, Cassidy, Austin, Cassidy, Austin, Cassidy, Austin, Cassidy, Austin.

I almost completely forgot that I was in school until I found myself packing my bag at my locker. Finally, my brain snapped out of auto-pilot as Austin ran towards me, his backpack swinging over his shoulder.

"Are you ready to go Alls?" he asked.

For a second, I forgot what he was talking about. Until I realized that we were going to his house. I nodded slowly. "Yep," I said as enthusiastically as I could.

Curse Austin for knowing me so well. He immediately caught it. "What's wrong?" he frowned, bending down so that we were eye-level.

_Nothing, _I wanted to say. But one look from Austin showed that he definitely wasn't going to buy that. I tried to consider my options. Lying wasn't going to be any good either. As I debated, only one was left standing: tell him the truth.

I cleared my throat. "Cassidy talked to me today," I said after a pause.

Austin looked at me in surprise, clearly not expecting that. "Oh," he said, confused before he put on a goofy smile. "What did you talk about? How hot and amazing I am?" He winked, making me roll my eyes.

Ladies and gentlemen, Austin Moon's ego.

"In your dreams," I grumbled.

Austin shook his head and laughed. "So what did Cassidy want?"

"Um…" I stammered, swallowing hard. _Just get it out, _I thought. How was I supposed to say this? '_Cassidy likes you!' _Too straightforward. _'Cassidy wants to be your girlfriend!' _Too stalker-ish. _'I'm Cassidy's wingman now!' _There was no way on earth I was saying that.

"Spit it out," Austin encouraged.

"I-I…got you a date with Cassidy!" _WHAT?!_

"WHAT?!" Austin stared at me.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! _I thought, scowling at myself. What did I just say? _Great, just great, Ally. You really know how to fix things, don't you? _

Austin gawked at me. His reaction was actually surprising. I would think that he would actually be… _happy. _This was what he wanted, right? Instead, he looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and never come back up.

"I'm your wingman, remember?" I said, half-jokingly. Austin stood there, not moving. I knocked on his forehead. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Blinking, Austin finally seemed to find words. "Wow…" he said at last.

I looked at him cautiously. "Aren't you happy?"

Austin gave me the deer-in-the-headlight expression before nodding a little too vigorously. "Of course!" he said, but his smile almost seemed forced. This definitely wasn't the way I thought he was going to be reacting.

How was I imagining it? I was thinking of more jumping around, a boatload of 'thank you Alls' and 'you are the most amazing person alive', and…I don't know, enthusiasm? Instead, I felt like I announced that I murdered Austin's pancakes.

"So," Austin swallowed hard. "When's the date?"

_Uh…_ "Saturday," I blurted out. _Just stop talking already. _"If that's okay with you. You can talk to Cassidy about it tomorrow. " _Except Cassidy wouldn't understand word your saying because there is no 'date'._

Oh boy.

* * *

"Can I please open my eyes, Austin?"

I tentatively took a step forward, Austin covering my eyes with both of his hands as we slowly walked towards his house. I heard him laugh. "Nope," he said, popping the 'p'. "This has to be a surprise."

Scowling, I helplessly walked into who-knows-where. "Watch your step," Austin told me as we stepped up the stairs to his porch. I heard him open the door and keys clatter together.

Carefully, he guided me into his house. I let out a sigh of relief. "Great," I said. "We're here now. Can I _please _open my eyes now?"

"Jeez," Austin joked. "Be patient. Just wait a few more seconds…"

"I hate surprises," I whined.

A hurtful voice came in back of me. "Ally-gator!" it said, sounding distinctively male. "I thought we were friends!" My breath caught in my throat as my eyes flew open. That voice sounded joyfully familiar.

Sure enough. I opened my eyes to see Ross Moon grinning ear-to-ear.

I gasped. "Ross!" I squealed, attacking him with a hug.

* * *

_"Whoa. Wait a second," Linda stopped me. "Ross?"_

_ I nodded, smiling slightly. "Ross is Austin's older brother," I explained, my smile slowly growing. "And he may as well be mine too because he's practically family to me. He's a year older than us, in college."_

_ Linda cocked her head at me questioningly. "And…"_

_ "What?" I asked in disbelief. _

_ "There has to be more."_

_ I sputtered. "How did you-what-" I stammered. _

_ Linda laughed. "I'm may be old, but I'm not blind, Ally," she said simply. "I can tell something's up." Seeing my doubtful look, she added, "Am I right?"_

_ I pursed my lips. "Maybe."_

* * *

I pulled back from the hug. "What are you doing here?"

Ross grinned. "I got a week off of college," he shrugged. "So I'm staying here so I get to hang out with my favorite seniors."

Next to him, Austin smirked. For a second, I was thrown off at how similar they looked. If it wasn't for the one-year age gap, I would have thought that they were twins. No kidding, the brothers looked _exactly _alike.

They both had the messy blond hair, hazel eyes, tan skin, and muscular frame. Same facial features and they were almost the exact height, with Ross barely an inch taller. The only difference was… I don't know. There was something that you can almost instantly tell about them that puts an instant difference between the two. Like the charisma, I guess. Ross sort of had a mature appeal while Austin hit me as more childlike and go-lucky.

I pushed the thought away. "Well, it's great to see you again," I grinned.

"Told you that you would like the surprise," Austin said slyly.

I stuck my tongue out at him.

Ross laughed at us. "So how's school going?"

"Good," I shrugged. "I haven't decided which college, though."

Austin's eyes brightened. "You should apply to MUNY!" he said. "They'll be an idiot not to accept you!" For some reason, I found myself blushing. I never really considered my choices of college, which surprised even myself.

With everything going on this year, college just slipped my mind.

Ross noticed my blush and winked at me, making my face heat up even more. Thankfully, he changed the subject. "That reminds me," he told me. "I bought you something from Yale. It's in my old room. Can you get it?"

"Lazy," I muttered, making both him and Austin laughed.

"Please?" Ross begged. Curse the Moon's gift of puppy eyes.

I finally have in. "Fine," I said, heading up the stairs. I made my way into Ross's old room, which was the first room on the top floor. I opened the door to reveal a genuinely clean room. Another difference between Ross and Austin: one was a neat freak, the other was a complete mess.

Easily, I found Ross's suitcase and zipped it open. Right on top was a wrapped package. Grabbing it, I carefully went out of Ross's room, closing the door behind me. As I made my way down the stairs, something stopped me in my tracks.

"Dude, she likes you," Ross was saying.

I halted half-way down the stairs. I peered down slowly to see Austin blushing. "Jeez, quiet down," he hissed. "Ally's going to hear you."

Ross shrugged. "Forget that," he said. "When are you going to tell her that-?"

"Just forget it Ross," Austin said the grit teeth.

His brother blinked in surprise. "What happened?"

"Cassidy," Austin replied blankly. "Cassidy's what happened."

My breath caught in my throat. What the heck was that supposed to mean? I didn't have time to question it now. I hopped down the stairs, pretending that I haven't heard a word that they said.

"Ross, is this the package that you-" I cut off innocently. "Is something wrong?"

Austin shook his head rapidly. "Everything's fine," he said, flashing Ross a glare.

Ross ignored his brother's stare, turning towards me. He grinned. "Yep," he said, a little too cheerfully. "It's yours. You can open it if you want to."

I smiled, tucking it under my arm. "I'll open it at home," I told him. Ross nodded and went on with the plans that he wanted all three of us to do before he left for the week. I tried to listen, but my gaze kept on falling on Austin.

What were they talking about? _Cassidy's what happened. _Did Austin mean that in a good or bad way? My head started to throb at all the questions that were slowly starting to fill up. And I was determined to answer them.

**So Ross is going to play an important roll in the story now. I have a quick question: who would like it if Ross became a minor love interest for Ally? Please vote either YES or NO in your review! Some of you were requesting another jealous Austin and I guarantee that will happen...based on how many 'yes's we get! I'll try and update ASAP! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**NO WAY! OMG! OMG! OMG! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM! 300+ REVIEWS? I AM THE HAPPIEST PERSON ON THE EARTH RIGHT NOW! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I can't believe it. Thank you all soooooooooooooo much. As all of you voted, many of you suggested good suggestions that I'm actually going to incorporate into the story, since they all kind of led to the same direction :D**

**I really hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

"Hey! Cassidy! Wait up!"

I stumbled slightly, shifting my book bag into a more suitable position as I raced towards my blond friend. Cassidy turned slightly, grinning ear-to-ear as her eyes inverted towards me. She waved. "Hi Ally!"

She waited on the sidewalk as I caught up to her. "Hi," I said breathlessly, slowly down as I reached her side, trying to catch my breath.

Cassidy smiled. "What's up?"

I faltered. When I was getting out of my house to walk to school and I saw Cassidy, my first instinct was to go after her. Why? Because Austin thought that he had a date with her on Saturday, which was tomorrow.

"So," I began slowly. "You know about the wingman thing…?"

Cassidy blushed slightly, but nodded. "Yeah."

_Just get it out, _I ordered myself, trying to stop my heart from aching as it clenched. "I-I-" I swallowed hard. "IgotyouadatewithAustin!"

Somehow, Cassidy seemed to comprehend what I was saying because she squealed so loud, I almost lost my hearing. "Omigosh!" she screamed, attacking me with a hug. "Thank you Ally so much!"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "No problem," I croaked out.

Cassidy pulled back, her eyes sparkling in pure joy. "You are amazing, Ally!" she squealed. "You have no idea how happy I am right now. Thank you!"

She was ecstatic. I should be happy for her instead of feeling sorry for myself. I should be smiling and saying 'that's what friends are for' instead of wanting to punch her in the face. I pulled on a fake smile.

"No problem," I squeaked, lying straight through my teeth. "Austin says that he's going to pick you up on Saturday at 7. Is that okay?"

Cassidy nodded vigorously. "That's totally fine with me," she said, grinning so wide that it looked like she was going to burst. "Thanks again, Alls."

I 'smiled' as she gushed on. How was it possible that I could be able to act happy for them when right now, it was literally _killing _me inside?

* * *

With all that was happening with Cassidy, I totally forgot about the talent show auditions. Or that Austin and I spent the night before practicing for them. Or that I might have to perform…in front of the _whole _school.

That's why my mind went into alert mode when Austin came up to me as I was getting my books for choir. "Hey Alls," he greeted. "You ready for after school?"

I stiffened as my head snapped up. "What?"

My expression must have been pretty good because Austin laughed. "You forgot already?" he asked, shaking his head. He knocked jokingly on my forehead. "Remember? The talent show auditions are after school today."

"W-What?" I stammered.

Austin rolled his eyes. "Really, Alls?"

The auditions. My confusion slowly turned into annoyance as I glared at him. "Oh yeah," I scowled. "The audition that _you _forced me into."

He nudged me gently. "Don't worry about it," he assured me as I locked my locker. "In practice last night, Ross said that you were amazing."

"Because he's Ross," I said, the anxiousness kicking in.

"And Ross never lies," Austin said firmly, putting one hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my tracks. "You're wickedly talented, Ally. How hard is it to accept that? Trust me, you'll do fine. It's just an audition. Just you, me, and Miss Hill."

* * *

"It's not just you, me, and Miss Hill!"

I felt like I was going to puke as I waited behind the velvet curtains of the stage. Austin glanced at me nervously. "Okay," he reasoned, trying to calm me down. "Maybe there are a few more people."

"A few more people? The whole school is practically here!"

"I wouldn't say the whole school…."

A jolt of anxiety hit me hard as my stomach twisted. Performing in front of a class of thirty people was one thing. Performing in front of the whole school for an _audition?_ That was a whole other story.

Miss Hill came back stage, nearly bouncing with excitement. "Austin, Ally," she said, smiling as she handed us both microphones. "You're up next."

"Why is everyone out there?" I asked, griping my microphone hard.

The smile slowly disappeared from Miss Hill's face. "They're here to see the auditions," she said with concern. "Are you okay Ally? Are you sick?"

"She's fine," Austin stepped in. "Just…excited?"

Miss Hill surprisingly seemed to buy the horrible excuse as she nodded, slipping through the curtains as the next act started to end. "Thank you Laura!" I heard her voice boom through the auditorium, over the clapping.

I closed my eyes tightly. "Hey," Austin said gently, forcing me to look at him. "I promise that they'll love you. Just pretend it's just like our jam sessions in your basement. Just you and me? Okay?"

_Just you and me. _I was unable to find my voice, giving a small nod.

"And now!" Miss Hill was saying. "Austin Moon and Ally Dawson!"

I took a deep breath as Austin and I stepped out of the curtain. For a moment, I was blinded by the lights. Once my eyes adjusted, I suddenly wished that the lights _did _blind me. Everyone's eyes on me…I felt my breath catch.

"Eyes on me, Alls" Austin whispered to me softly.

Good idea. I numbly inverted my gaze towards him to see him giving me a soft smile. Someone off stage handed him a guitar and in a matter of seconds, music filled the silent auditorium. Austin gave me a small nod.

_(Ally- italics, _Austin- underlined, **both- bolded**_)_

Yeah

Woah

I'm walking on a thin line

And my hands are tied

Got nowhere to hide

I'm standing at a crossroads

Don't know where to go

Feeling so exposed

It was my turn to sing. But my mouth felt completely dry. _Eyes on me Alls, _I almost heard Austin say. I turned away from the threatening eyes of the crowd to have my eyes collide with hazel. It was as if it drew the words right out of me.

_Yeah, I'm caught in between_

_Where I'm going and where I've been_

_But no, there's no turning back_

_Yeah._

No one booed. Or threw anything at me. I didn't even check to see their facial expressions. Instead, I stayed completely focused on Austin.

**It's like I'm balanced on the edge**

**It's like I'm hanging by a thread**

**But I'm still gonna push ahead**

**So I tell myself **

**Yeah, I tell myself**

Austin gave me a slight nod as I felt my confidence growing. Finally, I turned fully to the crowd as we sang the chorus, a newfound energy buzzing through me.

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

Austin did a small spin-dip, making me smile slightly. For a second, I almost completely forgot that we were performing. The crowd seemed to be a blur. _Just like our jam sessions, _I thought with a small grin.

It'd be so easy

Just to run

It'd be so easy

To just give up

_But I'm not that girl who go turn my back_

_There's no turning back_

My smile was growing to a full out grin. Suddenly, I understood why Austin loved performing so much. Adrenaline rushed through my blood. Not just excitement. But…content. I was facing my fear. For real this time.

**No turning back**

_It's like I'm balanced on the edge_

It's like I'm hanging by a thread

_But I'm still gonna push ahead_

_So I tell myself _

_Yeah I tell myself_

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

(Don't look down, don't look down)

**Don't look down, down, down, down**

We finished with a jump. It was like stepping on a landmine as the room was suddenly filled with cheers, claps, and whistles. As Austin slid the guitar strap off his back and set it on the wall, I didn't even hesitate.

I ran towards him, jumping on his back. He stumbled slightly in surprise. I wrapped my arms around his neck, burying my face in the crook of his neck, ignoring the fact that we were on stage.

Austin recovered quickly and he laughed, tilting his head so that he was looking at me. "I told you they'll love you," he said over the still-cheering crowd.

"No," I said, feeling the feeling of 'affection' rise up in my stomach to the point where I started to feel giddy. Seeing Austin's open his mouth, most likely to protest, when I added, "They love us."

Austin laughed and boosted me up, so that he was giving me a full piggy back. I squealed. "Thank you everyone!" I yelled as he ran backstage. A ton of emotions hit me. Glee, happiness, excitement, pride, joy, affection. As Austin bolted us off the stage, I couldn't help but feel a cold feeling crawl in.

It bothered me for the whole day. Even as I packed my bag to go home for the weekend, it wouldn't get out of my head. Then it hit me. Cassidy. She was watching every move I made with Austin in our audition. When we sang together. When I jumped on his back. When we hugged.

And her eyes were narrowed, looking at me with an unreadable expression.

* * *

"Okay, what's wrong?"

Ross stepped in front of the television, as if demanding for answers. I tilted my body, almost falling off of the couch as I tried to watch around him. "Ross!" I whined, throwing one of the pillows at him.

He dodged it. "I'm not moving until you tell me what's bugging you."

"I'm fine," I insisted, gritting my teeth. Ross frowned at me, giving me a pointed look. "What makes you say something's wrong?"

Ross sidestepped, showing me a glimpse of the pixels that bounced on the television. "You're watching SpongeBob," he said, as if it wasn't obvious.

"And?"

"And 'studies show that SpongeBob rots the brain'," Ross did a horrible, pitchy imitation of my voice, making me scowl and throw another pillow at him.

"Well I changed my point of view," I grumbled.

Ross turned the television off. "Ally," he said warningly.

I hesitated. You would think that he would have figured it out by now. Austin and Cassidy went out on their date. Enough said. I may have been all smiles as they left to go to their 'perfect evening' but as soon as they were gone…

A light bulb seemed to light up in Ross's head as a sly smile slowly formed on his face. "This is about Austin isn't it," he said, snickering slightly.

"No," I defended myself almost instantly.

Ross's face grew serious. "You really like my brother, don't you?"

The act was over as the smile slowly slipped off my face. I sunk into the sofa. "Am I that obvious?" I asked weakly, forcing my tears down.

I waited, expecting Ross to start to comfort me or hug me and say that everything would be okay. Instead, he jumped to his feet as he threw a fist punch into the air. "Yes!" he nearly yelled.

"What?!" I asked, slightly startled from his outburst.

Ross was grinning so widely that I was sure he was going to burst. "This is perfect!" he said, doing a small dance, reminding me instantly of Austin.

It was as if he totally forgot I was there as he spun towards me. "I mean," he corrected himself, calming down. "I just thought of the perfect idea."

* * *

"There's no way I'm doing this."

Ross scowled at me in annoyance. "Look," he said. "This is perfect. I helped Austin plan his date with Cassidy. After they saw the movie, they were supposed to come here." He gestured to the sign above us reading _MELODY DINNER._

I didn't budge. "Austin trusts me," I insisted. "I'm not going to sabotage his date with Cassidy. I'm not going to let him down like that."

"It's not sabotaging," Ross insisted. "We're just…spying on them."

"Either way, we're interfering."

Ross let out a small yell of frustration. "Why are you so stubborn?"

I frowned. "There's no way you can convince me to do this."

"Look," Ross reasoned. "We're not interfering with anything. We'll just find a nice hiding spot before Austin and Cassidy come. Then we can just see how it's going. You're his wingman, right? It's in the job portfolio."

I still felt hesitant. My mind started to whirl, making a mental pros and cons list. Pros: I get to see how Austin's date is going. Cons: if we get caught, I was DEAD. So the main question: would I rather be alive or dead?

Said like that, it was pretty obvious.

"No," I said at last.

Ross sighed. "Fine," he said grudgingly. "Let's go."

_Thank you, _I thought as we started towards the door.

It was probably just my luck. As Ross reached for the door handle, it flew open. Faster than you could blink, Ross was on the floor as he crashed into someone. My breath caught in my throat. Oh no.

Austin scrambled to his feet. "Ally?" he asked in surprise.

Behind him, Cassidy perked up. "What are you doing here?"

"With Ross," Austin added, gritting his teeth.

My mouth went dry as Ross boosted himself up so that he was on both feet. He straightened his clothes overdramatically. If we weren't in this situation, I would have laughed. "Uh," I stammered. "See…Ross and I….um…"

"Ally and I are on a date," Ross blurted out.

_WHAT?! _I have never wanted to slap someone as much as I did now.

I wasn't the only one that looked surprised. Cassidy raised an eyebrow, smirking at me with either shock or happiness. Austin, on the other hand, was none of the above. Instead, he was currently boring holes into Ross's head.

"Well," Austin said stiffly. I shrunk back. This couldn't be good. What he said next confirmed it: "Since we're both here, how about a double date?"

Throughout my confusion, one thought stayed in my head:

Oh sh**

**DUN DUN DUN ;) How was it? Thank you all again for the reviews! Please R&R! Sorry if it takes a while to update. For Father's Day I'm writing my dad a poem that I actually have to work on right now. But I'll try and update ASAP!**

**Just a quick note, for those waiting for me to update HWGA, I'm soooo sorry. I've been at a major writing block for that story. I'm really sorry. I'll try and finish the chapter ASAP. Just that I don't have the right inspiration yet. I've been super busy. **


	16. Chapter 16

**OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM! 400 REVIEWS JUST MADE MY ENTIRE YEAR! THANK YOU GUYS SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! YOU ALL ROCK! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! I really hope you enjoy the next chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

_Recap_

"Uh," I stammered. "See…Ross and I….um…"

"Ally and I are on a date," Ross blurted out.

_WHAT?! _I have never wanted to slap someone as much as I did now.

I wasn't the only one that looked surprised. Cassidy raised an eyebrow, smirking at me with either shock or happiness. Austin, on the other hand, was none of the above. Instead, he was currently boring holes into Ross's head.

"Well," Austin said stiffly. I shrunk back. This couldn't be good. What he said next confirmed it: "Since we're both here, how about a double date?"

Throughout my confusion, one thought stayed in my head:

Oh sh**

* * *

_ "Language,"_ _Linda warned. _

_ I ducked my head sheepishly. "Sorry," I said, trying to hide my smile. _

_ "No worries," Linda dismissed it. "Just watch your mouth Miss Dawson."_

_ A laugh escaped out of my mouth as I nodded. "I will," I assured her. "It's just that…I was so surprised I would have cursed so much that my dad would have grounded me for the rest of my life." _

_ Linda smiled. "Ross really surprised all of you."_

_ "Definitely." _

_ "So what happened?"_

* * *

Never in my life have I wished to disappear off the face of the earth. But right there, with my "date" Ross, Austin, and Cassidy, I was ready to wish away.

Finally, Ross smirked and spoke up, "Sounds great, Bro. Let's grab a table."

The look in Austin's eyes scared me. They had a certain fire in them. Like he was a lion waiting for his prey. And Ross was his next target. I instinctively tensed. This definitely wasn't going to end up well. Because on National Geographic (see, that show does come in handy sometimes), the lion always wins.

Cassidy seemed like she was the only one who didn't see anything wrong with this picture. "This is going to be fun," she chirped, beaming at me. "Ally, you never told me that you were dating Austin's brother!"

"Yeah," Austin said tightly. "Since when did this happen?"

I felt shivers run down my spine. "Um…" I stammered, glaring at Ross. It was his fault that he even put us in this mess. What the heck was he thinking?

Ross, thankfully, stepped in. "We'll explain at our table," he said enthusiastically. He gestured to an empty booth towards the corner of the diner. Cassidy squealed at the thought of hearing one of those 'how-we-met' stories and dragged Austin, who reluctantly trudged forward, to the table.

Ross took a step to follow when I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, jerking him back. I spun him around so that he was facing me. "What was that?" I hissed quietly, making sure that Cassidy and Austin weren't looking.

"What was what?" Ross asked innocently.

I scowled. "'Ally and I are dating'," I mimicked him. I glared daggers at him.

Ross raised his hands in surrender. "Just think about it Ally-gator" he said, the smile growing bigger on his face. "Why observe the date from a distance when you can have front row seats?"

"But now Austin thinks we're dating!"

"I'll make something up," Ross insisted.

Make something up? That wouldn't be good enough. Austin knew both of us like an open book. How long would it take for him to see we're lying? I'm surprised that he even believed us in the first place.

I eyed Ross carefully. I knew him well enough to see that he was hiding something. "Okay," I said, "why are you really doing this?"

Ross smirked as he avoided my question. "C'mon, dear," he said, making me scowl as he nudged me to our table. "We have a double date to go to."

* * *

Out of all the dates I've been to, this one was by far the worst.

I've never felt so awkward, mainly because Austin's eyes never left me. It was as if he was a statue, not moving a muscle. Even when our waiter came up, singing the specials, he didn't say a word.

Cassidy noticed the tension and obviously tried hard to get rid of it. "So," she cleared her throat. "Ross…Austin has told me a lot about you. You're in college?"

Ross nodded. "I go to Yale," he said, smiling. "I'm trying to get a…."

I tried to act interested in the conversation, but Austin almost made that impossible. Finally, he got up from his seat. "I-I'm going to…use the bathroom," he stammered, sliding out of the booth. "I'll be right back."

I may have only been to Melody Diner a few times, but I'm pretty sure that the bathroom wasn't outside the building. Ross cut off from explaining his major and gave me a pointed look. _Talk to him, _he seemed to be saying.

_No, _I wanted to protest. But I looked at Cassidy, who looked absolutely stunning with short shorts and high heels that it made my stomach clench.

"I'll be right back," I told them, not even bothering to give an explanation.

"Be back soon, honey," Ross said sweetly.

My hand twitched, wanting so bad to knock that smirk off his face.

"Shut up," I muttered to him, making him laugh.

Oh, when this date was over, he was going to get it.

* * *

I found Austin right outside Melody Diner, leaning against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I approached him, swallowing hard. _What's there to be nervous about? _I scolded myself. _It's Austin. _

Still, my voice trembled slightly. "Hey."

Austin perked up at my voice, his eyes leaving the passing cars. He observed me, his hazel eyes running up and down my body, as if checking to see if I was armed. "Hey," he said at last, smiling slightly.

Despite the smile, the atmosphere was still thick. I felt like I was going to suffocate at any second. "So," I said, swallowing again.

"So…."

I wanted to scream in frustration. Why was this so awkward?

Oh yeah. Because he was dating Cassidy and Ross was my 'boyfriend'.

I hated it though. All I wanted was for things to go back to normal. Where Cassidy didn't move to our school. Where Austin and I were completely comfortable with each other. Where other relationships didn't come between us. Where we were goofing off. Where….we were just Austin and Ally.

"So…" I stammered. "How's your date with Cassidy going?"

Austin looked startled for a second. "Good," he said slowly, almost cautiously. After waiting a moment to make sure I wasn't going to interrupt, he went on, "Cassidy's really cool. We have a lot in common."

"G-Great," I squeaked out, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Austin narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you okay, Alls?"

"F-Fine," I stammered. "I mean… it's great that things with Cassidy are going well." _Shut up, _I gritted my teeth, scolding myself. _Just shut up already! _

Austin nodded slowly, eyeing me carefully. I knew he didn't believe a word that came out of my mouth. But he seemed to drop the subject as he swallowed and said, "How come you never told me you and Ross were dating?"

The tone of his voice made me wince. Like I slapped him across the face. It sounded hurt and almost… Words jumbled in my mouth. What was I supposed to say to that? "Um…" I fumbled. Austin's gaze slowly turned suspicious as I tried to make up a story. "See…w-we got together when-"

Relief flooded over me as Ross came outside. _Thank God, _I thought, letting out a deep breath. "There you guys are," he said, "c'mon in. They brought the food."

Austin was still looking at me apprehensively. "Okay," he said slowly, making me shuffle my feet nervously. "You coming Alls?"

I nodded. "Yeah," I said as enthusiastically as I could.

But I still couldn't help but replay what happened in my head as I sat down back at our table, staring at my ChaCha Chicken Pot Pie. _"How come you never told me you and Ross were dating?" _Austin sounded hurt, definitely. But that wasn't all. Was he…jealous?

* * *

Melody Diner, being a musically inspired restaurant, had a lot of (surprise, surprise) music. There were instruments everywhere and everyone who worked there was required to sing. Every once and a while, they would set up a karaoke stand, in the center of the diner. And that's what scared me.

We were just finishing up our meal when Mindy, the diner's manager, went around the building yelling, "The karaoke stage is now available!"

It was as if activating a bomb on Ross because he jumped up and nearly shoved me off my seat, almost making me drop my fork. "Ally-gator, you have to sing!" he said cheekily, grinning ear to ear.

"What?" I almost choked on the bite of chicken that I was eating. "I have-" _stage fright. _Until I realized that I didn't. Because I overcame that fear at the talent show audition. Twice if you consider singing in the band room.

But that was all with Austin. He was singing with me. _He _was right there beside me. _He _was…probably the whole reason why I defeated my fear in the first place.

I swallowed hard as I got up from my seat. "Go Ally!" Cassidy cheered. I almost expected Austin to yell an encouraging word, but he just leaned back in his seat, looking at me curiously.

Against my will, I found myself walking towards the karaoke stand, my hand grasping the microphone. I tapped on it, making sure it was working. Sure enough, a small boom surged through the building.

It was amazing how fast that worked. The whole restaurant grew silent and my heart instantly sped up. "Um…" I stammered. "Hi."

Austin caught my gaze and smiled. He mouthed a word: _sing. _

"I'm Ally Dawson," I continued, confidence growing. "And I hope you like this."

* * *

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend_

_She's upset_

_She's going off about something that you said_

_'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do_

_I'm in my room_

_It's a typical Tuesday night_

_I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like_

_And she'll never know your story like I do_

This is crazy. Every part of my body yelled this to me as I sang the first part of my song choice. Why was I even doing this? Not just singing in a karaoke stand but…this whole song. My heart pounded.

_But she wears short skirts_

_I wear t-shirts _

_She's cheer captain_

_And I'm on the bleachers_

_Dreaming about the day when you wake up_

_And find that what you're looking for _

_Has been here the whole time_

I couldn't get myself to look at Austin or Cassidy. Instead I looked straight towards Ross. I could tell he was hiding a smile as he gave a small nod.

_If you can see I'm the only one who understands you_

_Been here all along so why can't you see_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

I could almost feel Austin's eyes bore through me, but I didn't dare to look at him as I started walking around the diner, jumping off the stage.

_Walkin' the streets with you and your worn-out jeans_

_I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be_

_Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself_

_Hey, isn't this easy_

_And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town_

_I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down_

_You say you're fine_

_I know you better then that_

_Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?_

I finally found the courage to look at Austin, who has visibly softened as he watched me quietly. I couldn't read his expression.

_She wears high heels_

_I wear sneakers_

_She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers_

_Dreaming about the day when you wake up_

_And find that what you're looking for_

_Has been here the whole time_

Cassidy, being the bright girl she was, seemed to understand the meaning of my song. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open. A pang of worry hit me. She understood….oh no. Swallowing hard, I continued.

_If you can see that I'm the one who understands you_

_Been here all along so why can't you see _

_You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door_

_All this time how could you not know?_

_Baby, you belong with me_

_You belong with me_

My eyes met with Ross and he titled his head slightly towards Austin, as if saying _Sing to him, not me! _

_Oh I remember you drivin' to my house _

_In the middle of the night_

_I'm the only one who makes you laugh_

_When you know you're about to cry_

_And I know your favorite songs_

_And you tell me about your dreams_

_I think I know where you belong_

_I think I know it's with me_

Austin almost forced me to catch his gaze as we locked eyes. I felt my eyes start to water. _Please understand. _

_Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?_

_Been here all along so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me_

_Standing by and waiting at your back door_

_All this time_

_How could you not know?_

_Baby, you belong with me_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

_Have you ever thought just maybe?_

_You belong with me_

_You belong with me_

I got welcomed with a burst of applause, but my eyes barely left Austin.

"Thank you," I gave a small wave, placing the microphone back on the stand.

As soon as I got to my table, Ross was up on his feet. "You did great," he said, giving me a hug. I wrapped my arms around him, but I peeked a look over his shoulder, looking at Austin.

Austin swallowed hard as he got up from his seat. "Great job, Alls," he said, but he almost sounded confused. I felt my tongue get twisted.

"Yeah," Cassidy said, frowning as she slowly took a sip of her water. "Taylor Swift. So, Ally, what made you sing that song?"

Oh no. I was dead, dead, dead, dead. "Um…" I stammered.

Cassidy waited, crossing her arms.

"See…" I fumbled.

Before I could answer, I felt myself get spun around to find myself face-to-face with Ross. I hardly got to blink before he did something that instantly made this the worst double date ever. He kissed me.

**How was it? I'll try and update ASAP! **

**Thank you all again for all the reviews! They just all make me so unbelievably happy! I was having a hard day today because of schoolwork and seeing how many reviews this story got just brightened my mood completely! Thank you all :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**AHHHHH! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I couldn't believe how many reviews I got for the last chapter! Over 50! Thank you all so much! I really hope you enjoy this next chapter :D **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

My mind whirled, processing a few things at once.

Ross was kissing me.

His lips were soft

He wasn't Austin Moon.

I pulled away, stumbling slightly, staring at Ross with wide eyes. Words jumbled in my mouth as my tongue twisted into ways I didn't even think possible. _What- _"What was that?" an angry voice came behind us.

Austin's eyes were burning with a fire I've never seen before. Cassidy looked just as surprised as he did, forgetting all about the song I just sang. "Aw," she squealed, jumping up and down. "That is _so _cute!"

That didn't help Austin's mood as his fists clenched. Ross gazed calmly at his younger brother. Austin opened his mouth to speak when Cassidy popped in again, "Maybe we should leave you? So you guys can have a proper date?"

Austin didn't look happy. In fact, he looked like he was going to protest. But something seemed to click in his mind. "Fine," he said reluctantly. His voice was dark and low. Like it could snap any second. "Bye, Alls. I'll see you at home Ross."

Both Ross and I flinched instinctively. To Cassidy it might seem like a friendly, brotherly good-bye. But I heard it as a clear warning: _we're not done with this yet. _

* * *

As soon as Austin and Cassidy left, I didn't waste a second. Grabbing Ross by the back of his shirt, I dragged him outside the store. Slamming him against the wall, I hissed, "What the h*** was that?!"

It didn't take long for a blush to appear on Ross's face. "I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "Look, Cassidy was right on you. She could tell that you had feelings for Austin. I needed to distract her somehow."

His lame explanation didn't solve anything. "And you decided to do that by kissing me?" I fumed. Ross looked slightly hurt and immediately, I felt myself soften. I bit my lip hard, silently cursing myself.

"I'm sorry," I apologized, ducking my head. I was acting way to harsh on him. "Look, Ross, I love you as a brother. It's just strange to…" I fumbled.

Ross let out a laugh. "I get it," he said. "I feel the same way."

Saying that what he said didn't surprise me would be a lie. If he felt the same way, why would he even _think _about kissing me in the first place? Especially when I was a 'sister' to him. "What?" I said in confusion.

My expression must have been pretty good because a goofy smile appeared on Ross's face. "I swear," he said, "you have to visit the eye doctor and get glasses because you, Ally Dawson, are _blind_."

"Hey!" I said indignantly.

Ross shook his head disapprovingly, sending me a pointed glare. "Maybe with good glasses you can finally see how much Austin's crazy about you! Open your eyes, Ally!" He shook me by my shoulders.

I almost choked on my own spit. "WHAT?"

"My little brother's crazy for you," Ross repeated. "Everyone can see it, even Cassidy herself! Tonight just proved it. When I kissed you, he looked like he wanted to kill me in my sleep. He was jealous. Ally, Austin loves you."

I stood there, utterly speechless. Austin…loves…me. My voice seemed to wipe away as no words came out. My dream. Ross is telling me that my dream, my dream that Austin would finally feel the same way, is true.

Ross seemed to notice my loss of words and gave me a small, breathy smile. "Just think about it, okay?" he asked, patting my shoulder.

As he walked away, I continued to stare at the empty air. My mind processed what Ross was just told me. _Open your eyes Ally. _And this time, I did.

* * *

_Austin smirked at me. That's when I realized how unbelievably close we were together. His chest was rising and falling steadily against my side. Our faces were so close; I could feel his breath as he took in heavy breaths. We locked eyes and my heartbeat started to pick up. His gorgeous hazel eyes examined my face. _

_ "Ally," he began softly. __**I love you.**_

* * *

_ Swallowing hard, I grabbed Austin by the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards me. Then I kissed him gently. On the lips. Immediately, I felt sparks. The butterflies were in a wild frenzy, the sensation growing throughout my whole body, to the ends of my finger tips._

_ I pulled back just as quickly. Austin was staring at me, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. I ducked my head. "Uh…bye!" I stammered, blushing hard as I ran into my house and slammed the door behind me. _

* * *

_ "What was that back there?" I demanded. _

_ "I had to do that," Austin protested. "I know what Elliot does to girls, Alls. He pulls them in and ends up breaking their hearts! Ask anyone in school!"_

_ I huffed and glared at him. "Why can't you just face the fact that someone might actually like me for once? Is that so hard?" I nearly yelled at him. _

_ Austin mumbled something under his breath that I didn't catch. _**I love you.**

* * *

_ "Ally, you should audition," Austin told me, making me almost fall out of my seat._

_ "W-What?" I stammered. "I-I can't." _

_ Austin sent me a pointed look. "You faced your fear," he said softly, most likely seeing the surprise in my eyes. "C'mon, please Ally. I'll audition with you. We'll perform. __**Together.**__"_

* * *

_ "I-I…got you a date with Cassidy!" WHAT?!_

_ "WHAT?!" Austin stared at me. _

_ 'Stupid, stupid, stupid!' I thought, scowling at myself. 'What did I just say? Great, just great, Ally. You really know how to fix things, don't you?' _

_ Austin gawked at me. His reaction was actually surprising. I would think that he would actually be… happy. This was what he wanted, right? Instead, he looked like he wanted to sink into the ground and never come back up._

* * *

_ "Dude, she likes you," Ross was saying. _

_ I halted half-way down the stairs. I peered down slowly to see Austin blushing. "Jeez, quiet down," he hissed. "Ally's going to hear you."_

_ Ross shrugged. "Forget that," he said. "When are you going to tell her that-?"_

_ "Just forget it Ross," Austin said the grit teeth. _

_ His brother blinked in surprise. "What happened?"_

_ "Cassidy," Austin replied blankly. "Cassidy's what happened."_

* * *

My breath quickened. Austin…Austin loves me.

* * *

12:00 PM. I snapped my phone shut, staring at the ceiling of my dark room. In the other room, I could hear my dad snoring. I smiled to myself. It was great to have him back, with his sleeping habits and everything.

Sighing, I tossed in my bed for the 100th time. My mind was going crazy, like it still couldn't process the fact that…Austin might return my feelings. The feelings that have been building up for as long as I could remember.

In my hand, my phone rang, making me almost fall out of my bed in surprise. I winced, accepting the call. I made sure that my dad was still asleep (he was, the snoring hasn't stopped) before whispering, "Hello?"

"Ally?" Ross's hushed voice came out.

"What are you doing?" I asked quietly, letting out a yawn. "It's midnight."

I could almost imagine Ross wince. "Sorry," he said, "but Austin isn't home yet and my parents are going sick with worry. And…it's partially my fault. I need to find him and I just thought…you might have an idea where he is."

"No, I don't-" I cut off, realizing that I do know. My thoughts wondered towards the beach. Sunsets…waves…my eyes lit up. The lighthouse. I almost heard Austin's voice in my head, _'It's just…this place was my safe haven. Where I can escape from everything, you know?' _

"Ally?" Ross asked.

Swallowing hard, I licked my lips before saying, "I know where he is."

"Really?!" Ross fumbled. "Where is it? I'll go there and-"

"No," I stopped him. My heart pounded as I took a deep breath. "It's fine. I'll go and get Austin. Don't worry. I'll tell him to go home. Just…I-I have to talk to him."

**I have a few things to say:**

**1. Yay! Auslly is on its way :D **

**2. I posted a new one-shot called 'Music In The Making'. Please check it out!**

**3. As for the number of chapters in Wingman, I was thinking about 25? I might increase it, but for now, that's the estimated number.**

**4. Summer starts tomorrow! Whoohoo! XD**

**Please R&R! Thank you all again! You guys are amazing! :D**


	18. Chapter 18

**OMG! OMG! OMG! I'm okay, I'm okay. *deep breath* 500 REVIEWS?! THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER! WITH THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL AND HALF 1K REVIEWS?! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! This chapter is dedicated to all of you! I really hope you enjoy it! Auslly! :D**

**Analicia: Ally's still on the plane :D Sorry I haven't made too many Linda/Ally scenes yet. **

**Guest: I've thought of how there's going to be a happy ending when Ally's retelling it and I think I've found a solution :) You'll have to read the later chapters to find out ;)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

It was _freezing _outside. Wind blew in my face, making my hair whip in my face. It was even colder by the ocean. Hugging my sweatshirt to my chest, I continued to walk on the boardwalk. Warmth spread through my body.

The sweatshirt was Austin's. The one he gave me the day I kissed him.

Waves crashed against the sand. It was gorgeous, the full moon lighting up over the sea, lighting up the whole beach. I would have been able to enjoy it…if my heart wasn't pounding out of my chest at the moment.

I felt my breath get caught in my throat as I stopped in front of the lighthouse. Even from the boardwalk, I could see it perfectly, towering through the sky, creating a dark shadow. _You can do this, _I thought to myself.

Taking off my flip flops, I began to slowly walk across the sand of the beach, feeling the strange sensation go through my body. As I walked, my mind started to think about all the possibilities of what could happen.

_Austin loves me. _

Why was it so hard for my brain to accept that?

One word: Cassidy. Austin did tell me straight forward that he liked her. A lot. Ross could just be wrong about the whole 'loving me' and I could get my hopes up for nothing. What I didn't want right now was a broken heart.

I was so drowned in my thoughts, I almost crashed into the lighthouse. I was so close to the sea, I felt the slightest bit of water wash against my feet. Looking up at the towering building, my heart started to pound even faster.

My suspicions were right. Down by the beach, I could manage to pick out a figure on the balcony of the lighthouse that was looking out towards the sea. Austin. Who else could it be? I took a deep breath.

_C'mon Ally, _I told myself, forcing myself to take a step towards the door.

I remembered what Austin did before. What seemed like a million years ago. I jiggled the doorknob quietly and sure enough, the door slowly swung open. A dark passage way awaited me. _Come in, _it almost said.

But my feet wouldn't move. I gritted my teeth. Mustering every bit of courage in my body, I stepped into the lighthouse, letting the darkness enclose me. I gripped the railing of the stairs, allowing it to lead me.

My vision was completely black as I depended on the wall to keep me from falling down the many, many, many, MANY stairs. Ouch. That would hurt. I tried to push the thought away as I continued up.

Finally, I got to the second doors that lead to the balcony. Where Austin was.

I gripped the doorknob, feeling the cool metal. My hand tightened around it. I was almost sure that it was going to crumple in my hands if I squeezed it any harder. Every part in my body screamed.

_Open it. Open it. Open it. Open it. Open it. _

_ Shut up! _I wanted to yell.

* * *

_"Gosh, darling, just open the door already!"_

_ I giggled. "Linda!"_

_ Linda rolled her eyes. "Look," she said. "This flight is almost over and I'm finding myself interested in your story more and more. But honey, we get it. You don't want to open the door because you're scared, blah, blah, blah."_

_ "Oh my gosh," I closed my eyes, trying to hide my smile. _

_ Linda shrugged. "I'm right, aren't I?"_

_ I smiled. "What's new?" I said grudgingly. _

_ Linda nodded in satisfaction as she relaxed into her seat once again. "Okay then," she said, turning towards me as she leant back. "So, skipping the 'open-the-stupid-door' conflict, what happened?" _

* * *

Almost against my will, my hand slowly turned the doorknob. I instinctively winced as I heard the door creak. It opened. An inch. Two. Three. Four. Five. Each small movement sending a beam of dim light in my face.

Soon, the door was wide open. I felt the ocean breeze hit my hair, calming me slightly. But nothing, not even an exterminator, could get the butterflies that refused to leave my stomach. For a moment, I stood there, not moving.

Just enjoying the peace.

But almost as soon as it started, it just had to end.

"Ally?" a voice asked.

I spun around to find myself face to face with Austin Moon.

* * *

_Observations of Ally Dawson: _

- _Austin was right in front of me_

- _Austin was right in front of me_

- _Austin was right in front of me_

- _Austin was right in front of me_

- _AUSTIN WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME_

My tongue twisted as my voice seemed to disappear into thin air. I almost completely forgot why I was in this old lighthouse in the first place. Because of Austin. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, _I thought to myself, gritting my teeth.

Austin looked just as surprised. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

_Uh... _"Ross called me saying that you weren't home…at 12:00 AM," I said, which wasn't entirely a lie. "He was really worried about you."

Bad idea to mention Ross. Austin's eyes hardened. "Well, you can tell him I'm fine," he said coldly. "I'm just going to stay here for the night. Thanks for checking up on me, but I really don't need you guys to babysit me."

Ouch. That hurt. It stung me like a slap on the cheek.

I should have just turned away and let him be. But for an unknown reason, I felt anger start to boil in my stomach. "We're not babysitting you!" I snapped, before I could stop myself. "I was really worried about you, Austin! You were missing at freaking midnight!"

Austin frowned. "Well, here I am."

I narrowed my eyes as annoyance started to build up in me. "What the heck is wrong with you?" I asked, my voice a centimeter away from snapping at him.

"What's wrong with me?" Austin repeated in disbelief. "What's wrong with _me_? I just found out today that my brother was dating my best friend!"

_We're not dating! _I wanted to yell at him. I wanted to tell him the truth. About Ross and I. About Cassidy. About how I wanted no one but him. But something held me back as Austin began to rant right before my eyes.

"And then he f***ing kissed you!" Austin went on.

I flinched hard as I took a step back. Austin _never _cursed unless he had a good reason to. "Austin," I said, my voice raising. "Calm down for a second!"

Austin scowled. "I can't calm down! You know, how would you feel if-"

What I did next was risky, especially since he was dating Cassidy. It was something I only dared to do once before. Something that could put our whole friendship on the line. But a newfound courage burst through my body.

I did what I did a million years ago. Standing on my tippy toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck, cutting him off. We were so close, I could feel his heart beat against my own chest. It was beating almost as fast as mine. I forced myself to look directly in his hazel eyes. "I'm not dating Ross," I said quietly.

Without waiting for a response, I filled the gap between us.

Half of me expected for it to be like before, with Austin as stiff as a board. But instead, his arms wrapped around my waist almost immediately, pulling me even closer to him. Warmth spread throughout my body.

My mind wiped out. Cassidy, Ross, Beth, the talent show, college, EVERYTHING disappeared from my thoughts as if they never existed. Instead, a new sensation filled in the empty spaces until it was only focused on one person: Austin.

It was as if electricity buzzed through my veins to the point where it could never satisfy me, making me feel giddy and overwhelmed at the same time. I never wanted it to stop. The feeling in my chest grew bigger. Love. And every single drip of doubt evaporated into thin air.

Austin was the first to pull back. His breaths were heavy as he pressed his forehead against mine. "Ally," he began softly, his voice low. "I-"

I stopped him. I didn't want to talk about our relationship, our future, Cassidy, or any of that. I didn't want to go back to reality. Not yet. "Wait," I said quietly, resting my head against his chest. "Please."

And, right there, Austin held me tightly. It was in an old, rusty lighthouse and people could say that the temperature was too cold for even Frosty the Snowman to survive. But to me, it was even better than a fairy tale.

**Whoohoo! It might just be me, but I was smiling SO hard when writing this chapter. Auslly has happened! But, that doesn't mean the drama's over yet because Cassidy is STILL in the mix :D Please R&R! I would love to hear any thoughts, suggestions, etc. Have a great summer everyone! I'll try and update ASAP!**

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON WINGMAN (preview of next chapter):**

Cassidy frowned at me. "Ally, you told me that there was nothing going on between you and Austin!" she sounded hurt.

I flinched. "C-Cassidy...I-I'm so sorry..."

Cassidy took a trembling breath. "Look," she said slowly. Something about her tone made me want to dig a hole in the ground. And never come back up. "Ally, you're a great friend. But over all this time...I've fallen for Austin too."

Oh no...this wasn't good...

My heart started to pound as Cassidy's voice dropped an octave. "I'm sorry, but don't think that I won't fight for him."


	19. Chapter 19

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I've got nearly 40 reviews for the previous chapter. Thank you all! They were all so supportive and it really encouraged me :D Thank you all again! You're the reason that I'm even writing this in the first place :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. **

The next morning, I woke up to find myself in Austin's arms. I smiled inwardly to myself. Quietly slipping out of his grip, I boosted myself to my feet. Walking a good distance away from him, I took out my phone.

Just as I expected, it was exploding with missed calls and text messages.

From one person: my dad.

Sighing, I dialed my dad's number. He picked up at the third ring. I hardly got a word out before he burst out, "Ally Marie Dawson! I've been trying to contact you for an _hour_! Where are you? I've been worried sick-"

"Dad," I said calmly, interrupting him. "I'm fine. But-"

"Where the h*** are you?!"

I winced. Behind me, Austin stirred in his sleep slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I apologized, lowering my voice to a whisper. "But Ross called me at midnight, saying that Austin disappeared. I had to help find him."

"And did you?" my dad's voice sounded irritated.

I was about to nod before I realized that he couldn't see me. "Yeah," I said softly. "I found him in the lighthouse by the beach. We fell asleep. I'm sorry."

My dad was quiet for a second. "Just don't do that again," he said, his voice shaking slightly. Only then did I realize how much my disappearance shook him. He lost Mom and Beth. Losing me? I couldn't even imagine how he was feeling.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered. "I promise I won't do it again."

My dad let out a deep breath. "Good," he said slowly, "because you, Miss Dawson, are grounded for a week." I made a face at the word 'grounded'. "So I hope sneaking out in the middle of the night was worth it."

I softened. "It was," I said quietly. I glanced back at Austin, who was still sleeping soundly. I opened my mouth to speak more, but no words came out.

"You're coming home now, understand?" my dad said sternly.

"Okay," I said, trying to keep the groan out of my voice. "I'll see you soon."

"Straight home, Ally."

I let out a small laugh before hanging up, tucking the phone back in my pocket. Turning my focus back to Austin, I walked quietly over to him, crouching down beside his sleeping body. I smiled inwardly.

My initial move was to wake him up. But something made me halt as I found myself staring at the sleeping blond. I felt myself visibly soften.

Austin turned slightly in his sleep. A small smile formed on my face.

I've never realized how…good looking Austin was until now. I mean, he's always been, what Kira would call, 'cute'. But there was something different about him when he was sleeping.

He looked more… innocent, I guess you can say. He looked so happy. At peace. Like he was dreaming about a huge stack of my 'famous' blueberry pancakes. His facial features were so relaxed and…

Suddenly, Austin's eyes flew open. "Boo!"

My body went into armadillo mode as I almost fell off the lighthouse. I let out a squeak, stumbling backwards. Austin was laughing his head off. I glared at him, my heart pounding so hard, I could feel it in my ears.

"Priceless," Austin cracked up, rolling on the ground.

I leaned against the balcony railing, trying to slow down my heart. "Austin. Monica. Moon," I growled, glaring daggers at him. "You almost killed me!"

That, of course, just made him laugh even harder.

I gave him the best scowl that I could muster. But I had to bite the insides of my cheeks to keep myself from smiling. Austin leaned against the wall that served as his temporary bed as he tried to catch his breath.

Austin noticed my hidden smile. He grinned as he let out a deep, laughter-filled breath. As I met his eyes, he gestured for me to come.

I didn't have to be told twice as I went straight into his welcoming arms. He wrapped them around my body. Ironically, I shivered as I felt newfound warmth. Austin rested his head on mine as I let out a small breath.

"I'm so glad we're together now," he murmured.

Just those few words made me feel like I was the happiest person alive. "Me too," I said quietly. No one, not even Cassidy, could ruin this moment right now.

…except for maybe my dad.

My eyes widened as I remembered that he expected me to be home.

Oh c-

* * *

_ I cut off abruptly. Linda sent me a pointed look. "I know, I know," I said before she could say a word. "I really need to shut my mouth and watch my language."_

_ Linda shrugged. "You're words, not mine."_

_ Shaking my head slightly, I leaned back in my seat. A stewardess came up to our aisle. "Drink?" she asked politely. I shook my head, muttering my thanks. Linda, however, asked for a glass of orange juice. _

_ I waited patiently. Linda thanked the stewardess as she took a sip of her glass. "So," she said, swallowing. "You and Austin are finally together."_

_ "Yeah," I said. I felt my face grow increasingly hot. _

_ Linda noticed and smirked at me. "So what happened next?"_

* * *

Monday. I felt a strange array of emotions hit me.

Good: I get to see Austin again today.

Bad: Today was the day that he was breaking up with Cassidy.

And I didn't want to be a part of that. Because rival or not, Cassidy was my friend. I told her straight forward that nothing was happening between me and Austin. And look where we are now.

What I completely tried to avoid was the fact that in a strange, technical way, Austin was cheating on Cassidy…with me. The thought just made me want to cringe. I…just didn't want anyone to get hurt.

I tried to swallow the guilt as I was walking to school.

_There's nothing to feel guilty about, _I tried to convince myself. And of course, my brain was the only part of my body that thought that. Because my legs started to tremble and my heart suddenly felt like it got stabbed.

Reality kicked in. There was nothing to be afraid of. Cassidy was a reasonable person. She would understand. Not to mention, she was my friend. A good friend.

Pushing away my thoughts, I took a deep breath as I continued down the sidewalk, shifting my backpack side to side. Why couldn't I just be happy for myself? I got the guy of my dreams, my best friend.

But something told me that it wasn't going to be a smooth ride.

* * *

Cassidy approached me during lunch.

"Ally?" she asked quietly.

I got up from my locker so fast, I almost hit my head on the door. "C-Cassidy!" I stammered, wincing as I tried to force my voice to stay steady. "How's it going?"

Cassidy pursed her lips as she dropped her head, her gaze glued to a certain point in the floor. She looked behind her, as if she expected someone to be eavesdropping. "Do you have a moment?" she asked at last.

_No. _"Of course," I forced a smile.

Cassidy took a deep breath, lifting her head up so that I could see that her eyes were watering. A pang hit me in the chest. I flinched despite of myself. Cassidy didn't notice. "Austin broke up with me," she said softly.

"Oh," I said, swallowing hard. My heart was pounding miles a minute. "C-Cassidy, I'm so sorry. I was really hoping for it all to work out for you guy."

_Liar, _a voice in my head sang.

_Shut up!_

Cassidy nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said. "Me too. I know how hard you worked to get me and Austin together. And I really appreciate it."

Oh, she was not making it easy at all. I bit my tongue hard to keep the truth from slipping out. "What are friends for?" I managed to get out.

Either she was ignoring it or didn't notice, Cassidy disregarded my obvious panic attack. "But…see," she began. I leaned forward slightly, encouraging her to go on. "Austin told me that he broke up because he had feelings for another girl."

I didn't know whether to feel overjoyed or terror.

Cassidy went on, "And…I was wondering if you knew who she was."

My mind went into red alert. This wasn't good. I was trapped.

The two options:

a) Lie

b) Tell the truth

I could easily say that I didn't know who the heck the girl was…why shouldn't I? It was save so much trouble. For both me and Austin. But something told me that it wouldn't. And that it would probably make things 1000x worse.

Because Cassidy was going to find out someday, whether in school or at home. And I knew that I couldn't ask Austin to keep our relationship secret. He deserved to be able to be free about it. It wouldn't be fair to him.

I closed my eyes. Cassidy was still waiting for my answer. _Just let it slip out, _I ordered myself. I took a deep breath. And slowly, as if trying to pronounce a new vocabulary tern, I said quietly, "It's me."

* * *

Cassidy's reaction?

I expected a few possibilities:

- She'll start yelling at me

- She'll say that it's alright

- She'll start squealing and saying how happy she is for me

- She'll be disappointed

- She'll be shocked

It was none of the above. Instead, Cassidy's face turned stony as she looked at me with wide eyes. Something flashed through her face: hurt. "You're dating him," she said, her voice hushed, making shivers go down my spine.

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to meet her in the eyes. I nodded as I forced myself to stay calm. "Cassidy," I began, my voice wavering slightly.

Cassidy cut me off, frowning. "Ally, you told me that there was nothing going on between you and Austin!" there it was. The anger/hurt kicked into her voice.

I flinched. "C-Cassidy…I-I'm so sorry…"

Cassidy took a trembling breath. "Look," she said slowly. Something about her tone made me want to dig a hole in the ground. And never come back up. "Ally, you're a great friend. But over all this time…I've fallen for Austin too."

It was like a slap in the face as I stared at her. Oh no…this wasn't good…

My heart started to pound as Cassidy leaned forward. Her voice dropped an octave. "I'm sorry, Ally, but don't think that I won't fight for him."

Then just like that, she twirled on her heel and left me there, standing in the middle of the hallway, gawking. My mind slowly started to process what just happened. Cassidy…has fallen…for my boyfriend.

And she wasn't going to go down without a fight.

"I'm sorry Cass," I said quietly, under my breath. There was no way I was going to let Austin slip away this time. Not like all the times before. I felt my eyes harden. "But don't think that I'm going to back down that easily."

* * *

**NEXT TIME ON WINGMAN:**

I clutched my phone. "Wait...Austin, what are you trying to say?"

On the other end, Austin took a shaky breath. "I got accepted into Yale. I...I'm moving."


	20. Chapter 20

**601 REVIEWS?! Thank you all so much! It's amazing! Thank you thank you thank you! This chapter goes out to all of you! You guys ROCK! THANK YOU ALL AGAIN! **

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* * *

**TALENT SHOW: FINALISTS**

**Laura Marano**

**Trish de la Rosa**

**Dez Fisher**

**Austin Moon & Ally Dawson**

I didn't even bother to read the rest of the list, as soon as my eyes hit my name. Austin, who was reading over my shoulder, threw a fist into the air.

"We made it in!" I squealed, spinning around.

Austin was grinning ear-to-ear. "No surprise there," he joked, wrapping his arms around me. I could feel him smirking. "With my awesomeness and your voice, we're definitely going to win now!"

I rolled my eyes. "Not with an ego like that."

Austin laughed, his grip on me tightening. "Either way, we still are performing next week. We can rehearse after school if you want. "

Sounded great. And I opened my mouth to say so when it hit me. My smile slowly dropped. "I can't," I said, turning towards him. "My dad wants me straight home after school. No exceptions."

"Because of the lighthouse incident?"

I shook my head. "He wants to talk about colleges."

Something flashed through Austin's face. "Oh," he said, almost uneasily.

I glanced at him. "Are you okay?" I asked suspiciously. My boyfriend shifted, just further proving my point. He swallowed hard and gave a nod.

"Fine," he said, forcing a smile.

"Really?"

"Really," he said, nodding a little too enthusiastically.

Before I could say anything, Austin changed the subject. "Anyway," he said, giving a nervous laugh. I narrowed my eyes at him. "We should go to class now. I'll talk to you at lunch, okay?"

"Okay," I said at last, still glaring at him. I hesitated slightly before adding, "But you will tell me if anything's wrong…right?"

He looked almost surprised that I asked that. "Of course," he said. "Alls, just because we're dating doesn't mean that everything's changed. We're still best friends. When have I ever kept something from you?"

A few responses went through my mind. Actually, a lot. But I didn't think that Austin would appreciate it if I listed them all. "Just let me know, 'kay?" I asked.

"I will," Austin insisted. "Promise."

"I'll hold you to that," I assured him, breaking into a smile.

Austin laughed, giving me one last hug. "I'll see you later."

I smiled to myself, hugging my textbooks as I went to my next class. But something stopped me in my tracks. At the end of the hallway was Cassidy, talking to Kira. But the blond didn't seem to take any interest in the conversation as her focus was completely on me.

My heart almost stopped for a second. One frown and I knew she saw everything. Almost against my will, my mind formed a small tally.

Ally: 1 Cassidy: 0

* * *

_Kill me now, _I thought.

My dad hardly seemed to realize my expression as he continued to search on his computer. "How about the University of Florida?" he asked excitedly. "That way, you can come and visit all the time, since it's so close."

"Dad-"

He was obviously ignoring me now. "You've always had an interest in writing, right Ally? Because I was talking to Trish's mom today, and she was saying that the best college to probably get an English degree in is-"

"Dad!"

That got his attention. I took a deep breath as I slumped in my seat. "I get it," I said gently, trying to keep the annoyance out my voice. "I really need to start applying for colleges and start thinking about my future."

My dad looked at me, almost in exasperation. "Ally, college isn't something that you could continuously put off. I'm sorry, but you have to decide."

I remembered what Austin once said to me. I almost heard his excited voice ring out in my head. _"You should apply to MUNY! They'll be an idiot not to accept you!" _MUNY… Music University of New York?

My dad went back to searching on his computer. I hesitated slightly. My dad was always so supportive towards me, with my love of music. But I knew that he never wanted me to do it as a career, even though he's never told me directly. I don't even think that he even knew what MUNY stood for.

I cleared my throat, getting his attention. He looked at me expectantly. I swallowed hard. I didn't know what his reaction would be to this. "So," I began nervously. "There's this one college that's been in my head for a while…"

His eyes lit up. "Really?" he said in relief. "So…"

"Um…" I stammered. "I was thinking about MUNY."

Perfect timing. My cell phone went off. I reached into my pocket to answer it when my dad stopped me. "Wait," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Were you going to say the Music University of New York?"

So he does know what it stood for.

My phone was still buzzing in my pocket. I laughed nervously. "I'm just going to take this call," I mumbled, looking at the caller ID. Austin.

"Wait a minute Ally. I think college is more important than-"

I ignored him, flipping open my phone. "Hello?" I asked.

"Hey Alls," Austin's nervous voice came from the other end.

I glanced at my dad, who was shaking his head at me. I frowned. I couldn't have his disapproving gaze on me while I talked. Walking into the other room, I forced my voice to sound enthusiastic. "Hey Austin! What's up?"

Austin gave a small, anxious laugh. "So you know how I told you today at school that there's no secret that I haven't kept from you?"

"Yeah," I said, my eyes narrowing.

"Well, there's a secret I've been keeping from you."

My shoulders slumped. "Austin-"

"No," he interrupted me. "Please just listen, Alls. You've been talking about college and everything…" he swallowed hard. "And… it made me realize that we're going to have to move on with our lives, even if we may not want to…"

Austin was starting to speak gibberish to me now. I cut him off, clutching my phone so hard, I was sure I was going to crush it. What he said stuck in my head: _move on. _"Wait…Austin, what are you trying to say?"

On the other end, Austin took a shaky breath. "I-" he faltered before let out another breath. "I-I got accepted into Yale. I…I'm moving."

* * *

I dropped my phone in surprise. Austin's… Austin's moving. The news hit me straight in the chest as my phone hit the ground with a _clang. _"Ally?" I heard Austin's voice come out of the stupid device. "Are you still there?"

My heart suddenly felt like a weight got dropped. _Austin's moving. _

"Ally?" Austin's voice came out nervously.

As if I was in auto-pilot, I reached down and grabbed the phone, putting it to my ear. My mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. I tried again, licking my dry lips. "Y-Yeah," I stammered. "I-I'm still here."

My weak attempt to sound 'confident' failed as Austin let out a sigh. "Look, Alls, I'm really sorry I kept this from you," he said quietly. "Can…you come over? So that I can talk to you in person?"

_No, _I wanted to protest. Instead, I nodded and said, "Okay. I-I'm on my way."

* * *

I was surprised I didn't crash into anything or fall on the way to Austin's house. Because half the time, I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going. The only thing my brain seemed able to focus on was: _Austin's moving. _

One thing did snap me out of my almost-daze. As I approached Austin's house, I heard distant shouting. I blinked hard, the muffled voices cutting through my thoughts. As I got closer, it was clear on what was going on.

The door swung open. Austin was half-way out, his coat on. I jumped slightly. He didn't notice me as he stormed out. I was about to call out his name when Mrs. Moon came following him out, leaning against the door frame.

"Austin," she said firmly. "You're not passing up this opportunity."

"This is my life!" Austin growled. "You can't control that!"

Mrs. Moon let out a breath. "Yale is an ivy league school," she said calmly. "This can mean big things for your future, Austin. With both you and Ross going there, the whole family's going to move. So we can still be together."

"But I'm not going to go to Yale!" Austin said in exasperation.

I blinked hard in surprise. Confusion swept through my brain.

Mrs. Moon let out a deep breath, as if getting prepared for another argument.

Austin cut her off before she could say anything. "I don't want to be there without her, Mom," he said helplessly. My heart suddenly stopped.

Mrs. Moon's shoulders slumped. "Please just listen-"

"No, Mom" Austin said firmly, spinning on his heel as he went down the porch of his house. "You're the one who has to listen."

Mrs. Moon looked like she wanted to say something, like yell at him to come back. But she just sighed and stepped back inside the house, closing the door behind her. She knew just as well as I did that Austin needed time alone.

Of course, I didn't listen to myself as I ran after my best/boy friend. "Austin!" I called, stumbling slightly as I raced down the sidewalk. Stupid wedges.

Austin perked up at the sound of my voice, slowly turning around. As soon as he saw me, he winced. "You heard all of that?" he asked glumly.

"Most of it," I admitted.

"My parents want to move to Connecticut, since Ross and apparently me are going to Yale. That way, 'we can all keep up the family bond'," he did a weak impersonation of his mom's voice.

I would have laughed if it wasn't for the situation. I forced a smile. "Look," I said hesitantly. "I'm happy for you. Yale is…" my voice started to squeak. "Great."

Austin visibly softened. "Look…" he said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault for being a genus," I joked.

"I don't want to go without you," Austin said firmly.

Tears pricked my eyes. I had to turn away to make sure that Austin didn't see them. What he said slowly sunk into my head. He wanted to ditch the perfect college opportunity…for me. I forced the tears down.

Turning back to Austin, I swallowed hard. "I can't ask for you to do that for me, Austin," I said weakly. "I won't let you. You deserve to go to Yale."

"I'm doing this for me too," Austin insisted. "I'm not letting our sixteen year friendship go down the drain like that. I can't make four years without you, Alls. I just need to convince my mom that."

A sob went down my throat. I didn't know what to say or do. I felt like yelling at him for being so stupid and at the same time, kiss him. "Austin," I choked out. I stared at my feet, refusing to look up. Because as soon as I met his eyes, I knew that I was going to lose it and start sobbing in the middle of the sidewalk.

Austin softened. "We'll figure something out," he promised.

I was still at a loss of words. "B-But-"

"Don't even try to change my mind, Alls," Austin said stubbornly. "My mom and Ross tried, but nothing's going to make me go to Yale."

Guilt filled my stomach. "I can't let you."

Austin's eyes hardened. "Look," he said, gripping my shoulders. "I won't be able to enjoy Yale, trust me. Ally, as cliché as it sounds, I spend every minute of my life thinking about you." His voice dropped as I blinked back my tears.

It was useless, really. Trying to keep myself from crying. Because Austin's next words caused them to fall anyway. Austin locked eyes with me. "I love you Alls. I should have told you that a long time ago."

And right there, I knew that the small Ally/Cassidy tally that I've been keeping in my head was pointless. Because I already won.

Ally: 100000000000000x Cassidy: 0

**Thank you all again! You guys always make my day every time I see an email saying 'New Review for Wingman'. It makes me squeal so loudly, my sisters are starting to get annoyed by me :) You are all just so amazing and supportive! Thank you! :D**

**I have one big announcement to make. **

**Drum roll please... I've been thinking about the possibility of a sequel, since I'm planning on ending Wingman by Chapter 25-30. Please comment your thoughts :D**


	21. Chapter 21

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**I hope you enjoy this story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

The week flew by quicker than ever. And every minute of those days I spent with Austin. I almost craved our time together. As if, when I didn't see him, my brain would have a malfunction. Even when I get so much as a text message from him, it would completely flip my day over. In a good way.

Saturday came around before I knew it.

I pounced on Austin's bed, completely messing up the covers. Across his room, Austin laughed as he lazily strummed his guitar. "Okay," he said, sitting down at the edge of his bed. "So for the talent show song…"

"I've been looking for song choices," I assured him, rolling to my stomach.

He waited patiently. "And…?"

"And I can't find a song that can actually let us win this thing."

Austin snorted. "Nice job Alls," he joked.

I rolled my eyes. "Anyway," I went on. "I was thinking that we can write an original song that no one's ever heard before. That way, we will have an extra chance of winning the talent show first place."

"Someone's ambitious," Austin teased.

I laughed. "Says the person who got into Yale."

Austin faltered slightly and I suddenly regretting saying that. "Did you…" I hesitated. But Austin was looking at me expectantly. I swallowed hard, my throat drying. "D-Did you talk to your mom?"

"Nothing's changed," he mumbled, his face falling.

I felt myself soften. "You still don't have to do this," I told him quietly.

Austin cracked a smile. "But I am. So get over it."

His attempt to brighten the mood worked as I let out a small laugh. Austin grinned in triumph. Seeing my non-budging hesitation, he continued, "Don't worry Alls. This is my decision." He set his guitar down against his bed.

"No other college has given you a response yet," I murmured. It was true. Yale might actually be his only shot at a good college. He's applied to University of Florida, University of Miami, and other local colleges with no response.

Austin shrugged. "If I can't be with the person I've-"

"Okay, okay," I laughed, stopping him. "This is starting to sound so cheesy."

Austin mocked hurt. "Here I am, confessing my feelings, and you're worried that I'm sounding too cheesy?" He grasped his chest like it got shot.

I smiled, another round of affection rising up for my idiot of a boyfriend. But he was the idiot who was willing to skip Yale in order to stay in Miami with me. He was the idiot who helped me get over my stage fright. He was the idiot… who was willing to do anything for me. And he was mine.

Reaching over, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. I felt it again. The sensation. No matter how many times we've kissed, I always felt it. Like I was on the top of the world. And I loved it.

Austin reluctantly pulled back first. "What was that for?" he asked.

I smiled. "Just for being you."

* * *

_"Whoa," Linda stopped me. "Just wait a second."_

_ I stopped mid-way of my story. "Yeah?"_

_ Linda looked confused. "Things sound like it is going great for you two," she noted. "I mean, it may have been a while since I've dated, but I can tell that you and Austin definitely have a spark together."_

_ I gave a small smile. "We did," I said quietly. _

_ That didn't help Linda's puzzlement. "He dropped Yale for you," she reminded. _

_ I looked at her suspiciously, wishing she would just get to the point. Was she trying to make me feel guilty? Because if she was, it was working. I ignored the feeling growing in my stomach. "Yeah," I said slowly. "I already told you that." _

_ Linda seemed like she was trying to choose the right words as she fumbled slightly. "No offense," she said kindly. "But why are you on a plane to MUNY as we speak, confessing to me about your heartbreak." _

_ That must've not come out as smoothly as she hoped because Linda winced. _

_ I shook my head as she tried to apologize. "It's fine," I told her, taking a deep breath. "Just…something happened. And it all started at the talent show." _

* * *

Once again, I found myself backstage of Marino High's auditorium. Unlike last time though, I felt confident in myself. Next to me, Austin noticed my smile as he drew his attention away from the act that was currently performing on stage.

"I'm guessing you're ready?" he said, grinning.

"Yeah," I nodded, beaming at him.

Austin opened his mouth to say something, but his voice got drowned out as the audience started clapping. We both peaked out of the thick, velvet curtains to see Dez wrapping up his tap dancing routine.

Miss Hill came up to the stage. "Thank you Dez," she said, smiling at the redhead, who saluted back. "Now for our next act, we have Cassidy, who's going to be performing…" she paused for dramatic effect. "_Back for You _by One Direction!" Claps followed as Cassidy skipped onto the stage.

I almost choked on the air as I heard her song choice.

That couldn't be a coincidence.

"Hi everyone!" Cassidy chirped. "Thanks for coming! I hope you like this song. It's-" she cut off. "I can really relate to it." Shivers went down my spine as she snuck a glance at me and Austin. I instinctively tensed.

Austin noticed me stiffen. "Hey," he said anxiously, nudging me gently. "Are you okay? Are you feeling the nerves coming back?"

The nerves were coming back. But they weren't from performing.

I swallowed hard and forced a smile. Austin shouldn't know what was going on with Cassidy. "Everything's fine," I told him not-so-convincingly.

Austin frowned, but he saw that I didn't want to talk about it. So thankfully, he didn't question it any further. Instead, he directed his attention back to Cassidy, who was mid-way between her song.

_"Baby, you don't have to worry," _she was singing. _"I'll be coming back for you, back for you, back for you, you. Lately, I've been going crazy…"_

I swallowed hard. _Crazy indeed, _I thought to myself.

* * *

_(Ally- italicized, _Austin- underlined, **both- bolded**_)_

Last summer we met

We started as friends

I can't tell you how it all happened

I smiled to myself as Austin hit off our 'original' song. We spent all weekend on it…and many sleepless nights. But it was finally done. And honestly, I thought that it turned out great. We had produced a method of Austin thinking of inspiration and I just turn them into words, on paper.

_Then autumn it came_

_We were never the same_

_Those nights everything felt like magic_

And I wonder if you miss me too

If you don't, here's the one thing

That I wish you knew

I remembered what Austin told me as I joined him for the chorus. _As cliché as it sounds, I spend every minute of my life thinking about you._

**I think about you**

**Every morning when I open my eyes**

**I think about you**

**Every evening when I turn out the lights**

**I think about you**

**Every moment every day of my life**

**You're on my mind**

**All the time**

**It's true**

How long 'till I stop pretending?

What we have is never ending

Oh ohh

_If all we are is just a moment _

_Don't forget me 'cause I won't and_

_I can't help myself_

I think about you ooohh

I think about you ooohh

As Austin started to harmonize, he locked eyes with me. _I think about you. _I had to remind myself that we were still on stage, in front of possible the whole town. Otherwise, I would have just started tearing up right there.

**I think about you**

**Every morning when I open my eyes**

**I think about you**

**Every evening when I turn out the lights**

**I think about you**

**Every moment every day of my life**

**You're on my mind,**

**All the time**

**It's true**

Austin smiled at me and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from keeping myself from just kissing him right there, on the spot.

**I think about you, you, you, you, you. **

Austin finished the last chord. But it was barely heard as people started slowly rising to their feet, clapping. I caught my dad's eye in the front row, and he gave me thumbs up. Maybe he did approve of my music career.

"Thank you!" I said into the microphone.

Austin ushered me backstage, waving a 'bye' to the crowd. As soon as we got behind the curtains, he tackled me with a hug. "You did great!" he nearly yelled, grinning wide as he buried his face in my hair.

"You did too," I smiled as I wrapped my arms around him.

Austin laughed slightly and started to lean in. I didn't stop him. Our lips were centimeters apart. Millimeters. Until my dad had to ruin it.

"Ally!" he called.

Both Austin and I sprung apart. I couldn't help but blush. Even though my dad did know about our relationship, I still couldn't feel uncomfortable about it.

My dad didn't notice as he ran backstage. "You did great out there, Alls," he said, grinning ear-to-ear. "I'm so proud of you!" He looked like he wanted to say more, but glanced at Austin apologetically.

Austin excused himself, smiling as he got the signal from my dad. "I'll be right back," he whispered into my ear, tapping my shoulder gently as he left.

"Look, Ally," my dad said as Austin slipped out of the room. "I know that you want to go to MUNY." I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut him me off. "And I know I wasn't too supportive over that. But now-"

"Dad," I interrupted hesitantly. How was I supposed to explain that I didn't want to go to MUNY anymore? Austin gave up his chance at Yale for _me. _How could just move to New York when he did that for me?

"Just listen," my dad told me. "There's someone here to see you."

That wiped the words right out of my mouth. "R-Really?" I stammered.

Someone came backstage at my dad's words. She looked around her mid-thirties. She wore a t-shirt that read _MUNY_. "Miss Dawson!" she exclaimed as soon as her eyes landed on me.

I instinctively took a step back. "Dad?" I asked in surprise.

My dad stepped in. "This is Miss Grace from the Music University of New York," he introduced the woman. "And Miss Grace, this is my daughter, Ally-"

"Dawson," Miss Grace finished excitedly. "Yes, I know." She turned to me. "I saw your presentation just a few minutes ago. Did you really write that song?"

"Yes," I said in confusion. "But I had help from my boy-"

"Amazing!" Miss Grace said in awe. "You are a very talented woman."

I found myself at a loss of words. I turned to my dad questioningly, but he just directed me back to Miss Grace. She cleared up my confusion quickly. "I'm here from as a representative from MUNY. Miss Dawson, we would be honored to have you at our school. How would you feel about a scholarship?"

**Please R&R! You guys are the best :D I'll try and update ASAP! A lot of you guys are asking why in the very first chapter, Ally was running away from Austin, going to the plane to MUNY. And I promise, you will all find out VERY soon :D**


	22. Chapter 22

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHH! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! You have no idea how happy I am right now! Thank you all so much! 717 reviews? That's amazing! You all are so supportive and amazing! I know I say it in every Author's Note, but it's true :D**

**I hope you enjoy the next chapter of Wingman! **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing **

* * *

_ Scholarship. To. MUNY. _The words swirled in my head.

Miss Grace and my dad looked at me expectantly as I found myself at a loss for words. "A-A scholarship?" I stammered at last, swallowing hard.

"Yes," Miss Grace nodded earnestly. "Miss Dawson, talent like you doesn't-"

I closed my eyes. The right and obvious way to go was to take the offer. When would I get another chance to get an easy pass into the country's best music school? Only one wall was keeping me from reaching my dreams: Austin.

Austin Monica Moon. He gave up Yale for me, and probably his whole future. I…There was no way on Earth I could do this to him. My heart twisted. How could I even _think _about doing this to him?

Suddenly, my decision came clearer. "I'm sorry," I said opening my eyes.

Bewilderment appeared in my dad's face. "What?" he said in shock.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I'm grateful, but I can't accept this scholarship."

Miss Grace's face would have been priceless. "Miss Dawson," she said carefully. "Don't make your decision rashly. This is a great opportunity. Not many students get offered a full time scholarship-"

I shook my head, ignoring my dad's threatening gaze. "I can't. I-"

My dad cut in. His expression was blank, like he was deciding whether or not he should ground me for the rest of my life or not. "I'm sorry, Miss Grace," he apologized. I looked up at him in surprise. That wasn't what I was expecting at all. Was he really standing up for- his next words immediately crushed my hope. "But can we have a little more time to discuss this?"

"There's nothing to discuss. I'm staying here in Miami-"

He silenced me with a wave of his hand. Miss Grace looked relieved that we weren't completely ditching the offer. "Of course," she said, almost a little too enthusiastically. "You have until the end of the year."

"We'll contact you then," my dad assured her.

Miss Grace nodded intently. "Good," she looked satisfied. She handed my dad something that looked like a business card. "I'll be expecting to hear from you soon." He nodded. Did I not have any say in this?

She turned on her heel to leave but suddenly halted as she was half-way across the room. "Miss Dawson," she said slowly, turning back to me. "Remember that this is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A chance to live your dreams. Don't let anything stop you from achieving that."

* * *

"You rejected it!"

I flashed my dad a glare as he parked the car into the driveway. "I was going to until you said that we had to _think _about it some more," I shot back. I knew it was rude to talk back, but my dad was getting on my nerves.

For the whole car ride, he's been ranting on how stupid and rash I was being. And that it was time to start thinking about my future and that MUNY was my dream college. That it could really turn my life around.

"Because we can't just discard this opportunity for you," my dad said angrily, taking his keys out and getting out of the car. Scowling, I followed him out and tried hard not to slam the door behind me.

"I already thought through it," I insisted.

"Really?" he growled, making his way to the front door of our house. "Because it took you five seconds to say that you were going to stay in Miami!" He fumblingly stuck in the key to the doorknob, angrily swinging the door open.

I stepped into the house, ignoring his rant. I threw my coat over the coat hanger. Taking a step up the stairs to my bedroom, my dad stopped me.

"Ally," he said, his voice softening at seeing my expression. "I don't get it. Two days ago, you said that you were willing to go to MUNY and that if the chance came, you would move to New York. What changed?"

Did I want to talk about this? Not really. "Please Dad," I begged, blinking the tears down. "Just trust me on this. There are always other opportunities. I'm going to apply to a different college. I was thinking of the University of Florida. That way I could stay close to Miami and-"

"That doesn't answer my question. What made you reject the scholarship?"

Fumbling, I couldn't find the right words to tell my dad the real motive. "You won't understand," I said at last, remembering Mrs. Moon's reaction to when Austin told her that he wasn't going to Yale.

My dad grew quiet. "We wouldn't know if we don't try."

"Austin," I said under my breath.

He stopped mid-sentence, leaning forward. "What?"

No backing out now. I looked up to meet my dad's eyes. "Austin," I repeated, raising my voice slightly. "He got accepted into Yale and you know what he did? He passed up the offer because he wanted to stay near me."

"Ally-"

I refused to let my dad speak. Because then he'll go on and on about how I shouldn't let one person keep me from the scholarship and education should come first. But it wasn't just anyone. It was Austin.

"He did _that _for me. I can't just leave him like that!"

"Ally-"

I found my voice growing desperate. "Dad, please listen to-"

My dad's eyes hardened. "Ally," he tried again, his voice low. "There are going to be many other people in your life. You're still young. You can't assume that Austin would be the one that you will spend the rest of your life-"

There we go again. The same conversation that seemed to be going in an endless loop. And I didn't want to hear it. Jumping to my feet, I grabbed my coat, slipping it clumsily on. Without a word, I ran out of the house. And I didn't even hesitate to slam the door behind me.

* * *

Somehow, I found myself at Austin's house.

There were way too many emotions in my head. Anger. Guilt. Regret. And…doubt. What my dad said hit me hard. _You can't assume that Austin would be the one. _No matter how hard I tried, his words kept on coming back to me.

Almost in a daze, I rang the doorbell. "Who is it?" a familiar voice called out.

"Ally," I managed to croak out. And that's when I realized I was crying.

I didn't have to wait long for the door to swing open to reveal Austin, his hair soaking wet and his ripped jeans changed for sweatpants. "Ally!" he said in relief. "Where were you? After the talent show and you were gone, I was so worried-"

My body leaped forward, my arms wrapping around his waist as I allowed my body to take in the warmth. "Ally?" he asked in confusion.

I shushed him, burying my head in his shirt. "Please," I told him quietly, snuggling even closer to him. "I-I just…have to know something."

Austin still seemed confused, but he didn't hesitate to wrap his own arms around my waist, making butterflies start to flutter in my stomach. "Are you okay?" he asked again, worry clouding his voice.

I didn't respond as I felt a change take place in my body as Austin continued to hold me. Every since feeling in my stomach, the anger at my dad, the doubt of my decision, seemed to drop until I felt like I could soar.

The feeling that I felt so many times before…when we were singing in the band room…at the beach…the carnival…the audition, came back to me.

Right there, I forgot all my doubts on MUNY.

Or the worry for my future.

And right there, I knew that my dad was wrong.

* * *

**Next time on Wingman... **

I stumbled slightly as I raced down the dark street, keeping my head focused on the ground.

Austin was right behind me. "Wait!" he called after me. "Alls, wait a second! Let me explain!"

"I hate you!" I yelled, spinning around to face him. My own words sliced through me like a knife and suddenly I felt like I just got shot. I swallowed the cold feeling that was crawling up my throat and forced the tears down. I met Austin in the eyes.

Austin halted, looking at me like he just got slapped in the face. "Ally, you don't mean it," he whispered hoarsely.

"No!" I said, slapping his hand away as he almost looked like he wanted to comfort me. "Stop it! And I meant every word. I. Hate. You. Austin."


	23. Chapter 23

**OMG! I can't believe how many reviews I got for the last chapter! Thank you all so much! 778 reviews are amazing! WOW! Thank you! I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter :D I think it may be one of the longest ones yet :D**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

_ "So you rejected the scholarship." _

_ I cocked my head at Linda as she took a long sip from her ice water. "I think I made it pretty clear," I laughed. "I called Miss Grace later that night to tell her no. My dad wasn't too happy but after I explained that-"_

_ Linda coughed. "No offence dear," she said slowly. "But you have to admit that it's kind of hard to believe that you ditched your MUNY opportunity when you're going to MUNY this very moment." _

_ "I didn't say the story was over yet."_

_ Linda glanced at the watch that was wrapped around her wrist. "Then can we pick it up?" she asked. "Because our flight is about to land in like, half an hour, and I really need to hear the rest of your story, Miss Dawson."_

_ "Okay," I gave a short nod. "So I didn't tell Austin about my MUNY scholarship. I was staying and got accepted into the University of Florida. For the next few weeks, everything was great but-"_

_ "But?"_

_ "It went downhill when prom came around…"_

* * *

"Dad, I promise you, nothing's going to happen."

My dad let out a small huff. "You never know, Ally," he said seriously.

I felt myself blush hard as I continued to curl my hair carefully. My dad didn't look happy as he sat down at the edge of my bed, watching my every move. Suddenly, the room became really hot.

"Anything can happen at prom," he went on, making me blush even harder.

"You can trust me, Dad," I assured him, trying hard not to stutter.

My dad narrowed his eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about."

"Austin?" I asked in shock. If it was even possible, my face burned even more. "Dad! How can you even think about-" I stammered, my tongue twisting. Swallowing hard, I tried again, "He'll never do something like that."

My dad looked at me calmly. "Look," he said reasonably. "I'm not trying to suggest anything. Austin is a very nice boy. But you could never know. In prom especially, the chances are more likely that-"

"No," I said firmly, getting up from my seat as I finished the final touches on my hair. "Dad, you're wrong. Austin would never do anything to hurt me like that. He's not like the other boys in my school."

An unnecessary anger filled my stomach directed immediately towards my dad. How could he think that Austin would even _think _to hurt me in any way?

My dad opened his mouth to speak but thankfully, the doorbell rang, cutting him off. I looked at him expectantly. He closed his eyes tightly, letting out a deep breath. "Fine," he said at last. "Just…be careful."

"I won't have to be," I said quietly. "I trust Austin more than I trust myself."

* * *

"Whoa."

I blushed slightly at Austin's reaction. I tried to pick an outfit that I knew he would like. A red spaghetti strap dress with a black belt that hugged my waist perfectly and (of course) matching wedges. I put my hair up into a braided updo and light make-up. I was never good when it came to dressing up, but from Austin's face, it looked like I did an okay job.

"Wow," Austin said again, his eyes running up and down. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks," I said, biting my lip to contain a laugh. "You look nice too."

Austin smirked and comically bowed. _Just another way to inflate his ego_, I thought with a small smile. But I meant what I said. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a red tie that matched my dress. He grinned at me.

Suddenly, I felt like the luckiest girl alive.

I grabbed my small silver handbag and adjusted it over my shoulder. "Let's go," I said brightly, taking a step out of my house when Austin stopped me.

"Shouldn't we say bye to your dad first?" he asked in confusion.

I bit my lip to prevent a series of curses from escaping out of my mouth. "It's fine," I forced a smile. "He's…taking a nap right now. I don't want to wake him up. He knows where we're going so I'm sure that he'll be okay with it."

Austin frowned, not looking convinced. "But-"

"Trust me," I insisted, stepping out of the house and closing the door firmly behind me before he could question me any further.

Austin tried again, but I ignored him as I made my way down the driveway, towards Austin's car. Almost angrily, I tugged on the car handle to shotgun.

"Ally," Austin attempted, his voice softening. "What's wrong?"

_Nothing, _I bit my tongue to let the useless word escape from my mouth. Nothing. Whenever it was used, it usually meant that it was something. I tried the alternative. "I'm fine," I said, hoping to sound confident.

"Please don't play that with me," Austin begged.

The act dropped. "My dad and I got in an argument," I said at last.

Austin frowned. He knew just as well as I did that arguments with my dad were rare. But it seemed since I rejected the MUNY scholarship that was all we did lately. "About what?" he asked after a moment of examining my face.

My throat went dry as I felt myself grow hot. I stammered, not trusting myself to meet Austin in the eyes. "Prom," I said, trying to avoid the obvious subject.

But Austin wasn't stupid. "Ally," he said, his voice growing low.

"He was…" I swallowed hard. "Afraid."

Unexpectedly, Austin broke into a smile, throwing me off for a second. "What was he scared of?" he asked, his eyes suddenly turned teasing. "That we were going to suffocate from all the perfume that was on-"

"You," I blurted out suddenly.

The laughter drained from his face. "What?" he asked as if his hearing was off.

"You," I repeated quietly, looking down at my feet.

Austin looked almost shocked. "Your dad's…" he trailed off, cocking his head. It was obvious that he was confused, considering the way he was staring at me like I just announced that I was an alien from Mars.

Cue the awkwardness. "He thinks that you're going to…" I fumbled, feeling another round of blushing coming around. I shifted my weight, not able to bring myself to say it out loud. Not with Austin right in front of me. "You know…"

For a moment, Austin's expression was the deer-in-the-headlights. What I said seemed to soak into his head because it didn't take long for his face to turn bright red. "Oh," he said at last, seeming at a loss for words.

"Yeah," I muttered, not trusting myself to speak up.

Austin coughed hard. "Look Alls," he said uncomfortably. "Just know that…" he faltered slightly before swallowing. "I'll never do that to you okay? You're the best thing that's ever happened in my life and… I can't even think about hurting you."

I smiled as I forced myself to meet his eyes. "I know."

* * *

"AH! Chica, tú es perfecta!"

Trish ran up to me with Dez trailing behind her as Austin and I entered the gym, where the prom was being held. I laughed at the excited Latina. "Thanks Tris," I said, grinning. "You look great too."

She was, as expected, wearing a zebra-print dress with her curly black hair tied into a complicated bun. And honestly, she looked amazing. She grinned.

"C'mon," Dez said, gesturing us towards a table. "We saved you seats."

Everyone perked up as we came. I recognized Kira, Elliot, Brooke, Dallas, Laura… I instinctively flinched as my eyes landed on Cassidy. Austin noticed next to me and sent me a worried glance. I quickly dismissed it with a wave of my hand. He didn't look happy about it, but he dropped the silent subject.

"Hey guys," I grinned, trying hard not to look at Cassidy.

Greetings were exchanged, and to my surprise, Cassidy gave me a bright smile.

Austin playfully pulled my chair out, "Madam."

"What a gentleman," I joked as I sat down.

He gave a teasing bow before sitting down to the chair next to me.

* * *

_"Sorry for rushing you, but we're landing in ten minutes."_

_ I couldn't help but flash Linda a look of annoyance. She raised her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry," she said, not looking sorry at all. "But if you could drop some of the minor details, that would speed things up."_

_ Rolling my eyes playfully, I leaned back down in my seat. "Fine," I said at last. "So for the first half of prom, it was great. I got to talk to Trish, dance with Austin, and just genuinely have a good time…"_

"I'm going to get a drink," I told Austin, getting up from my seat.

Austin looked up from his conversation with Dez, giving me a suggesting smile. I got the hint and gave a small laugh. "What do you want?" I asked him.

"Coke?" he asked hopefully, like he was a little kid just offered candy.

"Fine," I said grudgingly, feeling a smile grow on my face.

Austin grinned at me. "You're the best Alls," he told me.

"I know," I smirked as I made my way across the gym, where there were a slowly-growing crowd of people dancing. A long table was set up towards the back, where the beverages and snacks were being held.

Grabbing two plastic cups, I poured a drink for both Austin and myself.

Putting a firm hold on both of them, I managed to maneuver my way through the endless amount of people without spilling anything on myself. It was a surprise to see that when I went back to my table, Austin's seat was empty.

And it couldn't be a coincident that Cassidy's was in the same state.

* * *

"Trish!" I grabbed my best friend by the arm as she was taking a sip of her water bottle, making her spit it right out, going into a coughing fit. Next to her, Dez 'helpfully' pounded on her back.

She made a face before turning to me, glaring. "Ally!" she scowled.

I didn't even bother to apologize. "Have you seen Austin?"

Trish's anger slowly disappeared into worry. "Yeah," she said in confusion. "He went to the bathroom. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Maybe," I told her quickly. "Thanks Trish!" I didn't even wait for a reply before running out of the gym, being careful not to trip over my heels.

_Bathroom, _I thought frantically, my mind swirling as I crashed through the doors. Was I overreacting about this? Maybe. But I couldn't help but remember what Cassidy told me. _Don't think that I won't fight for him._

I skittered down the hallways. Turning the corner, what I saw next made me stop in my tracks. I couldn't believe my eyes as I felt my heart get torn into a million pieces. My knees started to wobble as I choked down a sob.

Really, I should have expected it.

But nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Austin kissing Cassidy.

* * *

"Ally! Wait! Let me explain!"

I felt my vision blur as I stumbled out of the school, slamming the doors open. The vision was still fresh in my mind. Part of me waited for myself to wake up. That this was all some horrible nightmare.

But it was real. In front of my very eyes. _I can't even think about hurting you. _I wanted to laugh in Austin's face. Because right now, all he was doing was hurting me. I felt like a just got stabbed in the heart.

Every feeling I had at the moment: the anger, hurt, betrayal. It seemed to disappear into thin air until it dissolved into nothing. Maybe that was what I was. Nothing. I felt hollow inside. Empty…nothing.

Austin was right behind me. "Wait!" he called after me. Curse him for being so fast. He caught up to me in a matter of minutes. I felt my breath catch in my throat as I pushed right past him.

_Cassidy. Austin. Cassidy. Austin. Cassidy. Austin. Cassidy. Austin. KISSING. _

I thought I was going to get away with it. All I wanted to do was die. Because nothing could be worse than the pain I was in right now. But Austin grabbed my arm, jerking me back from continuing down the dark street.

"Please Alls," he whispered. His voice trembled. And that's when I realized that he was crying. I ignored the sharp pain my stomach made as it twisted. "Just give me a chance to explain. I promise, it's not what it looks like."

A part of me wanted to believe him. To give him his wish and let him explain. But I felt my eyes harden as I felt the cold sensation spread through my body. "I hate you!" I yelled, anger suddenly overtaking me.

My own words sliced through me like a knife and suddenly I felt like I just got shot. I swallowed the feeling that was crawling up my throat and forced the tears down. I couldn't cry. I _wouldn't _cry. I met Austin in the eyes.

I almost regretted saying it until I remember what he did to me. Austin halted, looking at me like he just got slapped in the face. "Ally, you don't mean it," he whispered hoarsely, blinking hard as if he was wishing to wake up from a dream. His hand reached out, as if to comfort me.

"No!" I said, slapping his hand away. "I meant every word I said." My efforts of blinking back my tears failed as they started to freely flow down my face. "I. Hate. You. Austin. Monica. Moon."

**AK! I hate myself for leaving the chapter off like that. I'm really sorry about that. But like I said before, there will be a happy ending :) Pinky promise. And I take pinky promises VERY seriously :D**

**I have one quick announcement: there's only two more chapters left of Wingman :( I can't believe how fast this story went by. It seems like I just posted the first chapter yesterday :) And it's all thanks to you guys! Thank you thank you thank you for all your support, reviews, and...everything! You have no idea how grateful I am :D**

**I'm really sad that this story is coming to an end soon. But I'm still highly thinking about the possibility of a sequel ;)**


	24. Chapter 24

**OMG! THANK YOU ALL! AK! I'M THE HAPPIEST PERSON ALIVE! WE MADE IT TO 800+ REVIEWS! THANK YOU! I'M ABOUT TO BURST WITH HAPPINESS RIGHT NOW, NO JOKE :D THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! WHOOHOO :D **

**I really hope you enjoy the next chapter of Wingman!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

"Where is it?" I mumbled, frantically searching through my dad's desk.

Instinctively, I kept on looking over my shoulder as shivers continued to run down my spine. _He's not here, _I reminded myself, looking down at the note that my dad left, which was now crumpled in my hands.

_Gone out. Be back late. Have fun at prom, Ally-gator. –Dad_

The good news: it seemed like my dad forgave me for our argument.

The bad news: he was right.

"_Dad, you're wrong. Austin would never do anything to hurt me like that." _My own words came back to me as I felt a sob crawl up my throat. Apparently I was the wrong one this time. Because what my dad told me was true.

Austin did hurt me. Hard. He probably broke me beyond repair.

Maybe this was for the best. A part of me tried to convince myself that. _You knew it was never going to work out in the first place. From the very first time you laid eyes on her, you knew that you couldn't beat Cassidy. _

Pushing the thoughts away from my head, I grit my teeth as I returned back to my dad's messy desk. Digging through the pile of his bills, checks, and letters, I let out a small yell of frustration. _Where is it?_

Starting to open the small drawers that were installed into the desk, I found myself making a huge mess with my dad's papers. _C'mon, _I pleaded.

It was so small I almost missed it. But my eyes caught a flash of a small, rectangular piece of cream-colored , I took it out of the drawer, looking at its contents. _MUNY: Holly Grace. 212-975-3521_

_"I'll be expecting to hear from you soon." _

Swallowing hard, I got out my flip phone, shaking so hard that I almost dropped it. _8 Missed Calls, _it read on the home screen, _5 New Voice Mails. _

Almost against my will, I opened the messages up.

For every single one of them, Austin's voice filled the room. It was like someone just hit me in the chest as I felt the sob coming back up.

_"Ally, listen, I know you hate me right now-"_

Delete

_"Please pick up the phone-"_

Delete

_"Just let me explain-"_

Delete

_"Alls, I just want to talk-"_

Delete

_"I love you."_

My finger lingered around the delete button as those three words made me feel like a weight just dropped on my shoulders. Shutting my eyes tightly, I blinked back the tears. Without a second thought, I pressed the button.

_Voice message deleted. _A note popped up on my phone, confirming it.

Taking a trembling breath, I gripped the business card in my hand so hard that I was sure that I was going to crumple it. _You can do this, _I thought to myself.

I felt myself start to shake as I dialed the number into my phone. _212-975-3521._ This time, I didn't hesitate to start the call. My heart was pounding so hard that I felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.

Two rings before the caller picked up. "Hello?"

"Miss Grace," I said, my voice turning out weak and hoarse.

"Who is this?"

Swallowing hard, I choked back my tears as I cleared my throat. _You have to be strong, _I told myself. "It's Ally Dawson from Miami," I managed to get out. "And I was wondering… is that scholarship still available?"

* * *

**PRESENT DAY**

"And that's where we are now," I finished softly.

Linda was staring at me with wide eyes, seemingly unable to form complete sentences. I didn't know if her expression was of shock or complete awe. "Wow," she managed to get out at last. "Miss Dawson, that is…"

"I know," I laughed. "My life is crazy."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Wow," she repeated again.

Before I could respond, the pilot came on the speakers, efficiently silencing the plane. _"Please buckle your seat belts. We're going to land soon. Thank you for joining American Airlines. Have a great day." _

I almost found myself in shock, having completely forgotten where I was in the first place. Linda noticed my surprise and laughed. "Time flew by fast," she noted.

Nodding, I found a knot of disappointment growing in my stomach as I realized that was the end. The plane was landing. Linda and I would go our separate ways. "I guess this is it then," I said wistfully.

Linda gave me a hopeful smile. "Here," she said, getting a pen and notepad out of her purse. Quickly scribbling something down, she ripped the piece of paper out and handed it to me. "Write me, okay?"

I took the paper from her and realized that it was an address. I wrapped my hand around it, making a silent swear to never let it out of my sight. "I will," I promised. I felt my stomach fall as the plane started land.

Linda was already getting her stuff together, finishing up the still-full water bottle. Tucking it into her purse, she turned back to me. "Well, Miss Dawson," she said promptly, sniffing slightly. "I wish you the best at MUNY."

My heart stopped for a second. _Right, _I remembered, _MUNY. _"Thanks," I said with a small smile. A small thump came from under us as the plane hit the ground. Everyone started to shift as we slowed down.

Linda looked like she wanted to say more as the plane came to a complete stop. It was as if activating a bomb, everyone hopping from their seats as they rushed to get their bags from the overhead compartment.

"We should go," I said, swallowing the knot in my throat.

Linda nodded. Before she could say anything, I reached over and gave her a hug. "Thanks Linda," I said quietly. Then I realized how much I meant those words. Thinking back on it, Linda probably helped more than even she thought she did. "Thank you for everything."

"It was my pleasure," she responded, pulling back as she started to tear up.

Getting from her seat, she pulled her suitcase from the top compartment. "Just remember," she said, pausing as if she was trying to form the words in her mouth. "If you love something, it would come back to you."

Confusion swept over me, but there wasn't much time to ask. As I looked around us, I realized that the plane was almost clear until it was just us two.

Linda straightened herself as she seemed to come to the same conclusion as I had. "Bye Miss Dawson," she said softly. "Keep singing loud and clear, okay?"

I felt a genuine smile get plastered onto my face as I nodded. "I will."

* * *

Only when I got into the taxi cab to MUNY did I realize how much Linda really opened my eyes. My mind kept on going back to all the events that occurred.

_Austin. _He was the center of my thoughts. Retelling my story to Linda made me realize everything. How he was always there for me. How he was my best friend. How we had all those good times together. How we became Austin and Ally.

How… I never stopped loving him.

I swallowed the sob as the conclusion hit me hard. _He cheated on you, _I had to remind myself. _He kissed Cassidy. _Or… did Cassidy kiss him. Was there really a difference? The answer I was trying to avoid: yes.

_"He was the only one I allowed myself to want. It was either him or no one."_

My own words came back to me. Isn't that what I told Linda?

Pushing the thought away from my head, I forced myself to concentrate. It was too late to back out now. Heck, I was on my way to MUNY right now. To start a bright new future for myself with a clean slate.

I had to stop thinking about Austin and start to focus on my life.

But then a new question arose in my head.

Was that even possible?

* * *

I walked down the hallway of the MUNY dorms, my eyes stuck to the numbers that were glued to each of the doors. _315. 316. 317. 318. _

Looking down at the key that Miss Grace gave me, sure enough. _318. _The place where I was going to be living for the next four years. Probably where my whole future was going to take place.

Almost in a mechanic motion, I stuck the key into the keyhole and turned.

My hand gripped the handle. One simple movement and the door would swing open. But it was as if my hand was frozen as it twitched, unable to push the stupid knob. "_Gosh, darling, just open the door already!" _I almost heard Linda say.

_I'm trying Linda, _I thought to myself, shutting my eyes tight.

Why couldn't I do this?

This was what I wanted. A chance in the music business. There was nothing back for me at Miami. _Lies, _a small voice hissed in my brain.

I let out a deep breath, pressing my forehead to the wooden door.

Just needed a moment…

"Miss, are you okay? Are you sick? Abducted? How many fingers am I holding up?" a too-familiar voice asked behind me. My heart stopped.

I seemed like forever since I heard those words. "_Ally Dawson actually bored in class?" _I heard Austin's voice say in disbelief, laughter in his voice._ "Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? Abducted? How many fingers am I holding up?"_

My body stiffened as I slowly turned around.

Austin Monica Moon. He was smiling at me, warming me right down to every point of my being. It was as if I was dreaming. He was right in front of me. There. Just a few steps away. I felt the breath wipe away from me.

I felt tears prick my eyes as I realized that this was what I was hoping for. I didn't want to admit it, but it was true. I _wanted _Austin to follow me to MUNY.

My knees wobbled as a feeling that I couldn't describe surged through my body. An indescribable warmth filled me as I slowly felt everything come alive. _He kissed Cass-_ my mind destroyed the thought as suddenly, none of that mattered.

Because the way Austin was looking at me made me forget about everything.

Until it was just me and him.

"Hey Alls," he said softly.

The tears came down. But unlike last time, they came along with a smile. I wiped the corners of my eyes as I felt myself get burst with 'the feeling'. Love. "Hey," I said with a small, teary laugh.

What Linda had told me came back to my mind.

_ "If you love something, it would come back to you."_

**Honestly, I was crying when I was writing this. There's only one more chapter left in Wingman. It's amazing how far this story has come. Thank you all! Tomorrow will be the last and final update. Wow.** Please** R&R :D**


	25. Chapter 25

**This is it. Wow. We're finally here. The last chapter. I couldn't help but cry as I was writing this. Because I, honestly, have grown really attached to this story. I really hope you enjoy the last and final chapter of Wingman! Love you all and thank you for every single review/follow/favorite!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Linda sighed as she felt the cool breeze hit her as she walked across her porch, the cars slowly passing by. For summer, the weather has been fairly cold, allowing her to relax outside without the worry of being burned like a marshmallow.

Easing herself down on the porch steps, Linda smiled. She closed her eyes in content, enjoying the peace and quiet… which didn't last long as someone coughed politely. "Excuse me, ma'am?" a voice asked.

"What?" Linda grumbled, snapping her eyes open.

The mailman took a step back hesitantly, as if she was going to bite his head off. He tentatively handing her a stack of papers. "Your mail," he said.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at his nervousness, Linda nodded her thanks as she accepted them. She didn't even wait for the mailman to leave before digging through the pile. "Bills," she muttered under her breath.

_Bills. Checks. Magazines. Coupons._

Linda was about to just throw the whole stack of mail away when one envelope caught her eye. _Yes, _she thought in triumph, allowing the other papers to fall from her hands, hitting the ground.

"I've been waiting for you," Linda smiled.

Sure enough, on the front on the envelope, in neat handwriting, read _Ally Dawson. _Linda didn't wait another second to rip open the seal, taking out the lengthy cream-colored paper that was held inside.

* * *

_Dear Linda (I know, I know, it sounds too formal),_

_ Remember me? I'm sorry it's been a while. Especially when I promised to write you. It's been pretty crazy. I know you like things to get straight to the point, but honestly, so much happened when I went to MUNY, it's almost impossible to summarize it all on one sheet of paper. But I'll try. _

_ MUNY has been going great. Amazing classes. Hilarious teachers. Great friends. Music to die for. But really, what makes my time at this college the best is my new roommate. His name is Austin Moon. Do you know him? _

_ Yes, Linda, I did say Austin Moon. He's going to MUNY now. Surprise!_

_ I can almost see you looking at these words in confusion so I'll try and clear it up a bit. See… Austin followed me to New York. It's most likely not a shock to you. _

_ Don't even try and hide it. You made it obvious enough._

_ "If you love something, it would come back to you."_

_ Only then did I know what you really meant._

_ When I saw him standing there by my dorm, the feeling I felt was indescribable. But… for a long time Linda, it was the only thing I was so SURE of. Like I'm finally doing something right out of all the mistakes I've made. _

_ And that's when I realized that I've never stopped loving Austin. Hating him is probably the hardest act of mankind. Every single stupid mistake he's made. Every idiotic moment. It only contributed to the feeling that seemed to never leave my stomach whenever he was around. _

_ You were right, Linda… about a lot of things. About Austin. About me running away when things get hard. One bump in the road and suddenly I think the worst. How cowardly is that? Everything's going so perfectly well right now, Linda. But… I'll make a promise to you. _

_ I will face my problems head on. Persevere through the tough times. Because…even through all the pain, agony, and hurt… it all ends up to be worth it. Because it all leads up to Austin Monica Moon. _

_ And to me, he's worth fighting the world for. _

_ I should probably stop rambling now. You have better things to do than waste your time on reading about my life…again. But I just want to say one last word._

_ Thanks. I know I told you that on the plane, but I've never realized how much more meaning it has to it until now. You made me realize a lot of things Linda. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be writing this letter to you right now. I would have probably slammed my dorm door in front of Austin's face. _

_ Be miserable for the portion of my one and only college experience. _

_ But…right now, miserable is the last thing on my list. _

_ Maybe we will get Beth's fairy tale ending. _

* * *

_Until next time, _

_Ally 3_

Done. I smiled in triumph as I wrote the finishing touch on my letter to Linda. Placing my pencil on my desk, I carefully ripped out the letter out of my notebook. Folding it in half, I took the envelope that was in my other hand and slipped the piece of paper in, closing the flap behind it.

I made a face. I _hated _licking the envelope closed. The horrible taste always stayed in my mouth for a good majority of time. And that's why I use email. No licking involved and your hand doesn't throb afterwards.

"You know, if you keep on taking so long, by the time that letter gets to Linda, even _she'll _be using email," Austin joked behind me, plopping on my bed.

I glared playfully at him, turning around in my seat. He gave me a goofy grin before gesturing for me to give him the letter. Obediently, I handed him the paper. With a quick lick over the seal, he closed up the envelope.

Austin gagged. "You should be thankful," he said, making a face.

Laughing, I snatched the letter from his hands and placed it on the desk, making a mental note to put it in the mailbox the next time I go out. "My hero," I teased, sitting on the edge of my bed next to him.

Austin nodded sincerely. "Really," he said intently, his face straight. "Not every guy would be willing to take an envelope for you. Consider yourself lucky." His attempt to remain serious failed as he broke out into a smile.

I laughed again, allowing myself to lean against him. His arm instinctively wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me even closer. "Someone's grabby," I noted, biting my lip to keep myself from laughing.

"Can you blame me?" Austin smirked. "I have the best girlfriend in the world."

"I know," I smiled, looking up at him.

Austin mocked disbelief. "And you say _my _ego is big?"

I laughed and turned myself around so I was facing him. "But you love me anyway," I smiled. Austin's expression suddenly grew serious.

"Yeah," he said softly, looking at me in such a way that made me feel with pure bliss. "Ally…you know that I'll never leave you right?" I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off, "I understand if you have doubts. Cassidy kissed me. Even though she was the one who started it…"

He went on, rambling again and again on how sorry he was. I could tell that he was starting to get upset. And it was as if our emotions were connected in some strange way as I felt a pang hit me in the chest.

This day was too good to ruin.

So as Austin went on and on, I cut his lips off with mine.

Every time I've kissed Austin, from our first kiss to when we were dating in Miami, I've felt it. The powerful feeling. The giddiness. The butterflies. But this time was different. I felt something else shift in my stomach.

Like it was a feeling of pure content. As if a meteor could have hit the earth, and I would have still been the happiest person alive. Through everything that happened throughout this crazy year, a small seed of hope started to grow.

And right there, I knew that this is where I wanted to be for the rest of my life.

Austin must have felt it too because as he pulled back, his eyes examined my face, dazed as if he just woke up from a dream. He let out a breathy smile. It was as if being hit with a refreshing breeze. "Ally," he began softly.

"I love you," I blurted out before he could say another word.

Austin's smile grew to a full grin as he processed what I said. But I meant it. I couldn't have been more serious about something. I remembered what I had told Austin before. _"I hate you!" _And that was the biggest lie of the history of lying.

Because throughout this crazy ride we've been in, through the ups and downs, it all leads up to us. Austin and Ally. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.

**The End**

* * *

**That's it. I'm really going to miss this story. I just want to thank you all once again. It's been remarkable reading all your reviews and support. I wouldn't even be here without you guys. I've always loved writing, but I've always had that feeling that I was never good enough. So your support means everything to me. Thank you. I love you all! It's taking everything I got to not cry as I'm writing this ;) **

**But... there is good news. I've came to a decision.**

**If I can pass 900 reviews... drum roll please... THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL :D**

**So this isn't the final goodbye :D There will be an important update about the sequel soon... I just have to update HWGA and FAOA because it's been a while since I've written a new chapter for either of them ;)**

**Thank you all again. I can't express how thankful I am. Thank you thank you thank you thank you! It was an honor to write for you guys :) I love you all so much 3**

**Signing out (but not for the last time),**

**Alexia :D**


	26. Voting

**Hey guys! We did it! We made it to 900+ Thank you all so much! Just I promised, the sequel is going to come :D**

**Last night I was brainstorming ideas for the second installment of Wingman, and I cut it down to the top three. And I decided... since you guys are the ones who are going to read it, you should be able to vote for which one you want :) Here's the 3 options:**

**1. I Won't Let You Go**

"The question hit me like a brick: is it worth it?"/ Austin and Ally's relationship is going strong, but would it stay that way? Ally is starting to drift away, blocking herself out from Austin for the reason unknown. After dismissing it for so long, Austin finds himself faced with his worst nightmare: losing the best thing that's ever happened in his life. But as Ally continues to put down his help, the question arose. Is it even worth it?

**2. What Do I Have To Do? **

Everyone's favorite couple is back in Miami, but their troubles have just begun. Austin finds himself being pursued by Cassidy again and Elliot seems determined to win Ally's heart. With jealousy and heartbreak arising, Austin and Ally seem to be drifting apart faster than ever. But Austin's not ready for that to happen. He's willing to do anything to make Ally his again. But what happens when it reaches its limits?

**3. Wingman: Austin's POV**

**Suggested by JJlovesyou. **

You've heard their story through Ally's eyes, but how about everyone's favorite blond? What was going through his mind when this was all happening? What were his real feelings with Cassidy? Or when Elliot asked Ally out? Or when the girl of his dreams finally became his? Just like the title says, read Wingman through a whole different view with the eyes of Austin Monica Moon.

**I'm sorry if the summaries are all kind of suckish. I'm really not good at these things ) But I really hope you guys like the three choices. Please vote! If you have any ideas, feel free to PM me :D I'm sorry if the sequel does take a while, because I really want to update my other stories first, since it's been almost a week. Thank you all for your patience! **

**Love you all! :D **


	27. Chapter 27

**Hi everyone! I'm baaaack :D**

**First off, thank you all so much for the 1k reviews! I can't even begin to tell you how happy you guys made me. Every single one of your reviews were just so supportive and some of them even made me tear up a bit (in a good way ;) THANK YOU ALL! I love you all so much and I...thank you. I can't express how thankful I am for you all. Thank you thank you thank you! **

**Now for the news that you have all been waiting for...the SEQUEL :D Here are the results: **

**1. Wingman: Austin's POV... 135 votes**

**2. What Do I Have To Do?... 74 votes**

**3. I Won't Let You Go... 19 votes**

**So 'Wingman: Austin's POV' did win :D BUT I've made a decision to make this a trilogy, thanks to many suggestions :) Since it did get the most votes, Austin's POV will come first. Then 'What Do I Have To Do?' is right after :D The main reason I am doing this is because I do know that some people don't want to read Austin's POV because they think that it is just 'Wingman' with a different perspective. So I thought that this is a good compromise. **

**But please, please, please, please, PLEASE consider reading 'Wingman: Austin's POV' for those who do think that. I finished the first chapter and am going to post it right after. And it IS different from 'Wingman'. Since there are parts of Austin's life that wasn't shown in Ally's POV and their opposite personalities, they are both two different stories. So PLEASE give it a try :D **

**So...yeah. Thank you all again and I hope to see you all in 'Wingman: Austin's POV' and later 'What Do I Have To Do?' **


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